From Isolation to Solidarity: Building a Survivor Alliance Across 10 Villages of Sonbhadra and 3 Musahar Ghetto in Varanasi

Field Report

Information Leaflet and awareness Campaign for survivors’ alliance in 10 Model Villages of Sonbhadra

Date: 19 May 2026
Project: IRCT Project – Empowering Voices: JMN Survivor Engagement and Leadership for Rehabilitation and Justice
Implementing Organisation: Jan Mitra Nyas (JMN), in collaboration with the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)
Location: Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh, India
Villages/Bastis Covered: Barkara, Babhanouli, Mamuwa, Tiyara, Barela, Jamgai, Jait, Ghasia Basti, Hinduwari and Lodhi Basti

1. Background

As part of the IRCT-supported project Empowering Voices: JMN Survivor Engagement and Leadership for Rehabilitation and Justice, Jan Mitra Nyas undertook a patrol and information leaflet campaign across 10 model villages in Sonbhadra on 19 May 2026.

The project is designed to strengthen survivor engagement and provide holistic, trauma-informed rehabilitation through psycho-social support, Testimonial Therapy, survivor leadership development, community-based rehabilitation and the strengthening of a Survivor Alliance. It seeks not only to support individual survivors but also to create sustainable community-based systems of peer support, leadership and collective action.

The field campaign therefore went beyond the simple distribution of information leaflets. It provided an opportunity to reconnect with communities, strengthen relationships of trust, discuss protection and rights, encourage collective participation and build the foundations for stronger survivor-led engagement.

2. Purpose of the Campaign

The primary purposes of the campaign were:

To reconnect with survivors, community leaders and other community members in the 10 model villages.
To distribute information leaflets and explain the purpose and importance of the survivor alliance.
To strengthen awareness regarding rights, protection, community solidarity and collective action.
To listen to the experiences and concerns of survivors and community leaders.
To strengthen survivor engagement and community ownership of rehabilitation processes.
To encourage survivors and affected communities to come together through a Survivor Alliance.
To identify and encourage community-based leadership and peer-support mechanisms.
To strengthen the relationship of trust between survivors, community leaders and JMN/PVCHR.

This approach is consistent with the project's emphasis on survivor engagement, peer support, leadership development and community-based rehabilitation.

3. Approach and Methodology

The campaign was conducted through direct visits to the identified model villages and settlements where PVCHR and JMN supported to victims of torture & organized Violence. During the visits, the project team met with leading women and men from the communities and held informal but structured discussions.

The team explained:

The purpose of the survivor’s alliance;
The importance of community participation;
The need for collective awareness and mutual support;
The role of survivors and community leaders in strengthening rehabilitation and human rights protection; and
The proposed strengthening of a Survivor Alliance as a platform for survivors and affected communities.

The methodology was based on trust, dialogue, active listening and survivor-centred engagement rather than a purely awareness-oriented approach. This is consistent with the project's commitment to trauma-informed and survivor-centred implementation through trained professionals, survivor leaders and community networks.

4. Community Engagement and Field Experiences

4.1 Hinduwari Dalit Basti – Reconnecting Through Trust and Shared Memories

The visit to Hinduwari Dalit Basti was marked by a strong sense of familiarity, warmth and trust.

Information leaflets were distributed among leading women and men of the community, and the team discussed the purpose of the patrol campaign and the importance of continued community participation.

The visit also brought back memories of earlier struggles and years of engagement between the community and the organisation. The long-standing relationship was visible in the openness with which community members interacted with the team.

Community members expressed that the continued engagement of the organisation gave them a sense that they were not alone in facing their difficulties. The interaction demonstrated that rehabilitation and social change are strengthened not only through formal interventions but also through relationships built over time.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of trust as a foundation for survivor-centred rehabilitation, community participation and leadership development.

4.2 Ghasia Musahar Basti – Strengthening the Collective Voice

In Ghasia Musahar Basti, the team met with community leaders and discussed the purpose and importance of the patrol campaign.

The community members listened attentively and expressed their support for the initiative. The discussion focused particularly on the importance of bringing survivors and communities affected by violence and injustice onto a common platform.

A video clip of Ramsurat Ji was also shared with the community. The video created an emotional connection and encouraged further discussion about the experiences of survivors and the importance of collective action.

Following the discussion, community members expressed the view that the formation and strengthening of a Survivor Alliance could provide an important platform for survivors and other struggling communities to come together, support one another and raise their voices collectively.

The response reflected an important principle of the IRCT project: survivors should not remain passive recipients of rehabilitation but should increasingly become active participants, peer supporters and community leaders.

4.3 Lodhi Dalit Basti – From Awareness to Community Leadership

The visit to Lodhi Dalit Basti highlighted the gradual transformation that can take place when communities receive sustained support, encouragement and opportunities for participation.

The team distributed the patrol information leaflet and explained its purpose and relevance to community members.

During the interaction, a woman survivor became emotional while speaking about the organisation's continued support and engagement with the community. She explained that sustained efforts had contributed to greater awareness among community members and that people were now increasingly capable of taking initiatives themselves.

She shared that members of the community had begun independently reaching out to others and creating awareness.

This moment was particularly significant because it illustrated a transition from receiving support to becoming an agent of change.

The experience demonstrates the project's objective of strengthening survivor leadership and enabling survivors to become peer mentors, advocates and community leaders.

4.4 Jamgai Dalit Basti – A Powerful Moment of Trust and Recognition

The visit to Jamgai Dalit Basti was one of the most emotionally significant moments of the campaign.

The team met with leading women and men from the community. One survivor was initially asleep when the team arrived. However, when he heard Pintu's voice, he immediately came outside.

On seeing the team, he became deeply emotional and began to cry.

His emotional response reflected the depth of the relationship and trust developed over years of engagement. He was a survivor who had previously faced a highly difficult situation in which 35 legal sections were imposed against him. Despite the pressures and challenges he experienced, he continued to stand with his community.

Another significant moment occurred when community members themselves recalled the earlier RCT Project and remembered the distribution of mosquito nets under that intervention.

This recollection demonstrated how even relatively small forms of assistance can remain meaningful within communities when they are delivered through relationships based on trust and solidarity.

The encounter was therefore much more than a routine field visit. It represented the continuing connection between past and present interventions and demonstrated the long-term value of survivor-centred community engagement.

4.5 Jait Village – Awareness, Solidarity and Hope

In Jait village, the team distributed the patrol information leaflet and held discussions with leading women and men of the community.

The discussions focused on community protection, awareness, solidarity and the importance of collective action.

Community members shared their experiences and expressed the view that campaigns of this nature provide vulnerable and affected people with greater confidence to speak about their concerns.

They also recognized that when people stand together, their collective voice becomes stronger in challenging injustice.

The community expressed support for continuing engagement and working collectively for the interests and protection of vulnerable community members.

5. Engagement Across the Ten Model Villages

The campaign covered the following 10 model villages and settlements:

Barkara
Babhanouli
Mamuwa
Tiyara
Barela
Jamgai
Jait
Ghasia Basti
Hinduwari
Lodhi Basti

Community Engagement and Focus Group Discussion

The field experience demonstrated the importance of maintaining regular and meaningful contact with communities rather than limiting rehabilitation to individual counselling or case-based interventions. The visits to the 10 model villages also served as community-level Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), providing a safe and participatory space to listen to survivors and community leaders, understand their experiences and perspectives, and discuss the importance of Folk Schools, survivor engagement meetings and the Survivor Alliance as mechanisms for collective healing, peer support, leadership development and social reintegration.

The discussions helped the project team understand how survivors and community members perceive collective platforms and what role they can play in strengthening mutual support, community awareness and survivor leadership. Participants shared their experiences, reflected on previous interventions, and discussed the importance of coming together to address common concerns and support survivors who may otherwise remain isolated.

The direct engagement for strengthening the Survivor Alliance contributed to this broader process by creating opportunities for dialogue, active listening, trust-building and community mobilisation. The positive response from community members demonstrated their willingness to participate in a survivor-led collective platform and to support one another through shared experiences and peer networks.

These interactions also reinforced the understanding that rehabilitation is not limited to restoring an individual's psychological well-being. It also involves rebuilding social relationships, confidence, dignity, participation and collective agency. In this context, Folk Schools, survivor engagement meetings and the Survivor Alliance can serve as complementary community-based mechanisms through which survivors move from individual experiences of trauma and exclusion towards collective healing, leadership and social reintegration.

6. Key Outcomes and Observations

The campaign generated several important qualitative outcomes:

6.1 Strengthened Community Trust

The warm reception in several communities demonstrated that sustained engagement has created relationships of trust between survivors, community members and JMN/PVCHR.

6.2 Increased Survivor Engagement

Survivors and community leaders actively participated in discussions about rights, collective action and the importance of survivor-led initiatives.

6.3 Positive Response to Survivor Alliance

Community members responded positively to the proposal to bring survivors and affected communities together through a Survivor Alliance.

This directly supports the project's planned objective of strengthening a Survivor Alliance of approximately 300 survivors for peer support, leadership and empowerment.

6.4 Emergence of Community Leadership

The experience in Lodhi Dalit Basti particularly demonstrated that community members who have received sustained support are increasingly taking independent initiatives to raise awareness among others.

6.5 Preservation of Collective Memory

The emotional response in Jamgai and the community's recollection of the earlier RCT intervention demonstrated that previous rehabilitation and support activities continue to have meaning for communities.

6.6 Strengthened Sense of Collective Power

Across the interactions, community members emphasized that collective organization is essential for confronting injustice and ensuring that vulnerable people are not isolated.

7. Contribution to the IRCT Project

The campaign directly contributed to the objectives and expected results of the IRCT project.

The project aims to improve survivors' psychological well-being and confidence, strengthen survivor participation, develop survivor leadership, improve access to rehabilitation and justice, and establish sustainable community-based support systems.

The field campaign contributed particularly to the following areas:

Project Area	Contribution of the Campaign
Survivor Engagement	Direct interaction with survivors and community leaders
Community-Based Rehabilitation	Reconnected rehabilitation work with community structures
Survivor Alliance	Generated positive community response to collective survivor mobilisation
Survivor Leadership	Identified and reinforced emerging community leadership
Peer Support	Encouraged survivors and communities to support one another
Dignity and Empowerment	Created spaces for survivors to share experiences and be heard
Social Reintegration	Strengthened community relationships and social belonging
Torture Prevention	Encouraged collective awareness and resistance to injustice

The approach complements the project's broader rehabilitation model, which combines Testimonial Therapy, psycho-social support, community-based Folk Schools, survivor leadership, legal assistance and survivor collectives.

8. Human and Emotional Significance

One of the strongest lessons from the campaign was the emotional significance of long-term relationships.

The reactions of community members in Hinduwari, Ghasia, Lodhi and particularly Jamgai showed that rehabilitation cannot be understood only in terms of services delivered or activities completed.

For survivors, being remembered, listened to and visited again can itself be an important affirmation of dignity.

The emotional encounter in Jamgai was especially powerful. A survivor who had experienced severe legal and social pressure immediately responded to the familiar voice of a member of the project team. His tears conveyed a sense of recognition, trust and shared history that cannot easily be captured through quantitative indicators.

Similarly, the statement of the survivor woman in Lodhi reflected an important transformation: communities that were once primarily recipients of support are increasingly becoming participants in awareness-building and collective action.

These experiences reinforce the project's survivor-centred philosophy, in which survivors are not merely beneficiaries but active partners in rehabilitation, peer support and human rights protection.

9. Challenges and Learning

The field experience also highlighted the importance of continuing community engagement.

Survivors and vulnerable communities may experience fear, stigma, isolation and reluctance to participate. The IRCT project therefore emphasizes confidentiality, informed consent, trauma-informed care, trusted community networks and survivor leadership as important measures for building safe participation.

The campaign reinforced several practical lessons:

Trust must be built over time.
Survivor engagement cannot be limited to formal meetings.
Emotional safety and dignity are essential in every interaction.
Community leaders can become important peer-support resources.
Previous interventions should be remembered and connected with current rehabilitation efforts.
Survivor-led collective structures can strengthen sustainability.
Regular field contact is essential for maintaining relationships and identifying emerging needs.

The direct engagement campaign for survivor alliance conducted on 19 May 2026 across the 10 model villages of Sonbhadra was much more than an awareness activity.

It became an opportunity to renew relationships, listen to survivors, strengthen community confidence and reinforce collective action.

The visits demonstrated that the foundation of sustainable rehabilitation lies not only in professional services but also in trust, dignity, solidarity, participation and survivor leadership.

The response from communities to the proposed Survivor Alliance was particularly encouraging. The willingness of survivors and community leaders to come together and support one another provides an important foundation for strengthening the survivor-led rehabilitation model envisaged under the IRCT project.

The experiences from Hinduwari, Ghasia, Lodhi, Jamgai and Jait demonstrate that communities are increasingly moving from being recipients of assistance towards becoming active participants in awareness, peer support and collective leadership.

The campaign therefore represents an important step toward the project's broader vision: transforming survivors from isolated individuals affected by violence and injustice into empowered individuals and collective leaders capable of supporting one another, claiming their rights and contributing to torture prevention and social change.

In this sense, the journey is not simply from trauma to recovery, but from survival to dignity, from isolation to solidarity, and from being heard to becoming a collective voice for justice.

Field Report

Survivor Alliance Awareness and Community Engagement in Khargpur, Sarai and Aurav Mushar Ghettos

Date: 17 May 2026
Project: IRCT Project – Empowering Voices: JMN Survivor Engagement and Leadership for Rehabilitation and Justice
Implementing Organisation: Jan Mitra Nyas (JMN), in collaboration with the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)
Field Team: Jyoti and Rajendra
Location: Khargpur, Sarai and Aurav Mushar Ghettos

1. Background

As part of the IRCT-supported project Empowering Voices: JMN Survivor Engagement and Leadership for Rehabilitation and Justice, a community-level awareness and engagement visit was conducted on 17 May 2026 in Khargpur, Sarai and Aurav Mushar Ghettos by Jyoti and Rajendra.

The visit formed part of the project's broader effort to strengthen survivor engagement, community-based rehabilitation and the development of a Survivor Alliance. The project seeks to create sustainable community-based systems of peer support, survivor leadership, collective action and social reintegration.

The field visit was therefore not limited to information sharing. It provided an opportunity for direct interaction with community members, listening to their perspectives, strengthening relationships and discussing the importance of collective participation.

2. Purpose of the Visit

The main objectives of the field visit were:

To reconnect with community members and strengthen regular community engagement.
To create awareness about the purpose and importance of the Survivor Alliance.
To listen to the experiences, concerns and perspectives of community members.
To promote awareness regarding rights, dignity, protection and collective action.
To encourage survivors and vulnerable community members to participate in collective platforms.
To explore the role of community-based mechanisms in peer support and rehabilitation.
To strengthen trust between the community and JMN/PVCHR.
To encourage community leadership and participation in future survivor engagement activities.

3. Approach and Methodology

Jyoti and Rajendra visited the three identified Mushar settlements—Khargpur, Sarai and Aurav—and engaged directly with community members.

The interactions followed a participatory and survivor-centred approach. Rather than treating the visit as a one-way awareness activity, the team created space for dialogue and listening.

The discussions focused on:

The purpose and importance of the Survivor Alliance;
Community participation and collective responsibility;
The importance of survivors supporting one another;
Community awareness and protection;
The role of peer support in strengthening rehabilitation; and
The importance of developing local leadership within the community.

The approach was based on trust, dialogue, active listening and community participation, consistent with the project's survivor-centred and community-based rehabilitation framework.

4. Community Engagement

4.1 Khargpur – Building Awareness and Collective Participation

The team visited the Khargpur Mushar settlement and interacted with community members regarding the Survivor Alliance and the importance of collective participation.

The discussion provided an opportunity to listen to community perspectives and explain how survivors and vulnerable community members can come together to support one another.

The interaction emphasized that community members should not remain isolated when facing violence, discrimination, injustice or other difficulties. Collective awareness and mutual support can help strengthen confidence and create a stronger community voice.

The visit also reinforced the importance of maintaining regular contact with communities so that rehabilitation and human rights engagement remain connected with people's everyday experiences.

4.2 Sarai – Strengthening Community Voice

In Sarai, Jyoti and Rajendra engaged with community members and discussed the importance of building a collective platform through the Survivor Alliance.

The discussion focused on the value of coming together, sharing experiences and supporting community members who may otherwise remain isolated.

The interaction highlighted that community-based engagement can provide an important space for people to express their concerns and develop greater confidence to participate in processes concerning their rights and dignity.

The proposed Survivor Alliance was discussed as a platform through which survivors and affected community members can strengthen peer support, collective awareness and community leadership.

4.3 Aurav Mushar Ghetto – Towards Collective Healing and Leadership

The team also visited the Aurav Mushar Ghetto and held discussions with community members.

The interaction focused on the importance of collective action, survivor participation and mutual support. Community members were encouraged to understand the Survivor Alliance not simply as an organisational activity but as a platform through which people with shared experiences can come together and support one another.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of community leadership. When survivors and community members become active participants in awareness and peer support, rehabilitation can move beyond individual assistance towards stronger community-based systems.

The visit therefore contributed to creating an initial foundation for greater survivor engagement and collective participation in the area.

5. Community-Level Focus Group Discussion

The interactions in Khargpur, Sarai and Aurav also contributed to the project's community-level Focus Group Discussion (FGD) process.

The discussions provided an opportunity to understand how community members perceive collective platforms and what forms of support they consider important for strengthening survivor participation and community solidarity.

The field team was able to listen to community perspectives and discuss the relevance of Folk Schools, survivor engagement meetings and the Survivor Alliance as mechanisms for:

Collective healing;
Peer support;
Community awareness;
Survivor leadership;
Social participation;
Dignity restoration; and
Social reintegration.

Such community-level engagement is important because rehabilitation is not limited to individual psycho-social support. Sustainable rehabilitation also requires rebuilding relationships, confidence, participation and collective agency.

6. Key Outcomes and Observations

The field visit generated several important qualitative outcomes:

6.1 Strengthened Community Contact

The visit strengthened direct and regular contact between the project team and communities in Khargpur, Sarai and Aurav.

6.2 Increased Awareness of Survivor Alliance

The discussions created awareness about the purpose and potential role of the Survivor Alliance as a collective platform for survivors and affected communities.

6.3 Community Participation

The direct interactions provided space for community members to participate in discussions rather than being passive recipients of information.

6.4 Peer Support and Collective Action

The discussions emphasized the importance of survivors and vulnerable community members supporting one another and raising their concerns collectively.

6.5 Emerging Community Leadership

The engagement created an opportunity to encourage community members to take greater responsibility for awareness, peer support and collective action.

6.6 Strengthening Community-Based Rehabilitation

The visit reinforced the importance of connecting rehabilitation with existing community relationships and local participation.

7. Contribution to the IRCT Project

The 17 May 2026 field visit contributed to the broader objectives of the IRCT project by strengthening:

Project Area	Contribution
Survivor Engagement	Direct interaction with community members and potential survivor participants
Survivor Alliance	Awareness and mobilisation around a collective survivor platform
Community-Based Rehabilitation	Connected rehabilitation engagement with local communities
Peer Support	Encouraged mutual support and collective participation
Survivor Leadership	Promoted the role of community members as active participants and leaders
Dignity and Empowerment	Created space for people to express concerns and participate in dialogue
Social Reintegration	Strengthened community relationships and collective participation
Torture Prevention and Human Rights	Promoted awareness, solidarity and collective responses to injustice

8. Learning from the Field

The visit reinforced several important lessons:

Sustainable rehabilitation requires regular engagement with communities.
Trust and relationships are essential for meaningful survivor participation.
Community members need safe spaces to express their experiences and concerns.
Survivor-led platforms can strengthen peer support and collective confidence.
Community leadership is an important element of long-term rehabilitation.
Collective action can reduce isolation and strengthen the voice of vulnerable communities.
Awareness activities become more meaningful when they are combined with listening, dialogue and participation.

The community engagement visit conducted on 17 May 2026 in Khargpur, Sarai and Aurav Mushar Ghettos by Jyoti and Rajendra was an important step in strengthening the survivor-centred and community-based approach of the IRCT project.

The visit provided an opportunity to reconnect with communities, listen to their perspectives, discuss the importance of collective participation and introduce the Survivor Alliance as a platform for mutual support and survivor empowerment.

The engagement demonstrated that meaningful rehabilitation extends beyond individual services. It requires trust, dignity, participation, peer support and collective leadership.

The field visit therefore contributed to the broader journey of building stronger community structures in which survivors and vulnerable community members can move from isolation towards solidarity, from receiving support towards active participation, and ultimately towards collective healing, leadership and justice.