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        "rendered": "Far from slavery, Gowri is now a bold survivor leader"
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        "rendered": "<section class=\"story_brave\"  id=\"block_6b2b35578071279532780aba096d2fb1\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n      <div class=\"col-xl-6 col-lg-7 col-md-9 col-sm-10 col-12\">\n        <div class=\"story_brave_content\">\n                      <div class=\"story_latter\" style=\"background:url('https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/DSC09410-1.jpg_202205CHE_Gowri-Update_Approved-for-Full-Use-1-1024x683.jpg') no-repeat;background-size:cover;\">W<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"story_content\">\n            <p>When Gowri shares about her present life, words like\u00a0\u201cjolly,\u201d\u00a0\u201cpeace\u201d and \u201chappy\u201d sprinkle her vocabulary. But these were not always the words she used to describe her life.<\/p>\n<p>A brutal owner of a woodcutting unit in South Asia forced Gowri and her family to work for him for nearly 10 years before IJM and local officials rescued them in 2010. Since that time, we\u2019ve walked alongside Gowri\u2019s family in their journey to restoration.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s Gowri, when she was still just a mother, telling her story before and after the rescue:<\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-container\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/div>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u6208\u8389(Gowri)\u7684\u6545\u4e8b\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3OpCP_2sTys?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<section  id=\"block_f843ce3b6225b773b4ca924c7eec8366\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n      <div class=\"col-xl-6 col-lg-7 col-md-9 col-sm-10 col-12\">\n        <div class=\"story_brave_content\">\n                    <div class=\"story_content\">\n            <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-17988 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/DSC07770.JPG_201510CHE_2010-CHN-BNL-023_Gowri_Approved-for-Full-Use-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Gowri after rescued\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/DSC07770.JPG_201510CHE_2010-CHN-BNL-023_Gowri_Approved-for-Full-Use-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/DSC07770.JPG_201510CHE_2010-CHN-BNL-023_Gowri_Approved-for-Full-Use-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/DSC07770.JPG_201510CHE_2010-CHN-BNL-023_Gowri_Approved-for-Full-Use-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/DSC07770.JPG_201510CHE_2010-CHN-BNL-023_Gowri_Approved-for-Full-Use.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Gowri and her family on the day of rescue.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Rescue, followed by our two-year aftercare program, wasn\u2019t the end of IJM and Gowri\u2019s journey together. IJM had a need for a community field worker in Gowri\u2019s area, but there was none, so <strong>Gowri did something unprecedented at the time: with our guidance, she was given significant responsibility and became her community\u2019s field worker.<\/strong><\/p>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n                <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n        <div class=\"col-xl-6 col-lg-7 col-md-9 col-sm-10 col-12 text-center\">\n                      <h3 class=\"mb-5 pb-2\">\u201cIf we hide away, it means we have done something wrong. Justice is on our side,\u201d Gowri said.\u00a0\u201cThat was when I began to find the courage to fight back.\u201d<\/h3>\n                    <a href=\"#sendrescue\" class=\"btns pink_btn give_modal\">SEND RESCUE<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:43px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<section  id=\"block_79bbd04a1fdd4cd0cc0e482b0f2584ca\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n      <div class=\"col-xl-6 col-lg-7 col-md-9 col-sm-10 col-12\">\n        <div class=\"story_brave_content\">\n                    <div class=\"story_content\">\n            <p><strong>Leading people from darkness to light<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, Gowri is a survivor leader in the Released Bonded Laborers Association (RBLA) in her community. She helps others get services they\u2019re entitled to from the government, and she wants to do all she can to rescue every single bonded labourer: <strong>she lobbies the government and speaks in government meetings, highlighting the plight of bonded labourers and emphasising the importance of timely rescues<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Gowri has navigated through rescue, restoration and beyond for 12 years. <strong>As a survivor, she has the valuable perspective of having been both the victim and the advocate. <\/strong>She said she has seen much change in the government\u2019s response to bonded labour: \u201cToday the government\u00a0is a lot more approachable\u2026 They also encourage and motivate us to continue doing our part in helping them identify bonded labourers and rescue them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs an RBLA leader,\u00a0I\u2019m able to lead my community. I will continue to be the voice for the voiceless and lead people from darkness to light.\u201d<\/p>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section  id=\"block_8344e05809627f2ddd97de3fd3f6c76f\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n      <div class=\"col-xl-6 col-lg-7 col-md-9 col-sm-10 col-12\">\n        <div class=\"story_brave_content\">\n                    <div class=\"story_content\">\n            <p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-18050 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gowri-family-today.jpg\" alt=\"Gowri's family today\" width=\"1773\" height=\"1182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gowri-family-today.jpg 1773w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gowri-family-today-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gowri-family-today-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gowri-family-today-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gowri-family-today-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gowri-family-today-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1773px) 100vw, 1773px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Living in fullness<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, Gowri\u2019s life is full; beyond her passion and commitment to help others, her family is growing and thriving. Her two daughters have married, and her son is a devoted young man who works to support her. Excitingly, Gowri has become a grandmother! Little Vaishalini was born in 2018 to Gowri\u2019s oldest daughter.<\/p>\n<p>Besides being an RBLA leader, Gowri earns money by working as a domestic worker in a household that treats her well, in addition to producing various crafts to sell and teaching those skills to others wanting to strengthen their finances and sustain in freedom.<\/p>\n<p>She reflected on her journey, noting that IJM\u2019s walking with her through her rehabilitation all those years ago enabled her to stand strong now: <strong>\u201cRescue and rehabilitation have made me the person I am today.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section  id=\"block_b05bd80d734036b066f1b1592f7c50b3\" class=\"img_back\" style=\"background:url('https:\/\/ijmhk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/DSC09555.jpg_202205CHE_Gowri-Update_Approved-for-Full-Use.jpg') no-repeat; background-position: center; background-size: cover;\">  \n<\/section>\n\n<section  id=\"block_cca6b13f256229a94ae715253dfcea56\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n      <div class=\"col-xl-6 col-lg-7 col-md-9 col-sm-10 col-12\">\n        <div class=\"story_brave_content\">\n                    <div class=\"story_content\">\n            <p><strong>Carrying the torch into the future<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As much as it could be said that IJM has travelled with Gowri over the last 12 years, it\u2019s just as true that Gowri has been travelling with IJM for that same length of time\u2014nearly half of IJM\u2019s existence.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to IJM\u2019s 25th anniversary this year, she said,\u00a0\u201cYou have\u00a0journeyed with us all these 25 years. Now, as RBLA leaders, we promise to extend our help in everything you need. We will carry this baton and ensure there are no more bonded labourers in our state and our country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe owe you all a debt of gratitude. We want to thank every soul who has so selflessly given for the cause. Because of your sacrificial giving, we are free today and we continue to do this work of freedom through which we are changing lives and making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n                <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n        <div class=\"col-xl-6 col-lg-7 col-md-9 col-sm-10 col-12 text-center\">\n                      <h3 class=\"mb-5 pb-2\">As a Freedom Partner, you can help empower survivors like Gowri to become leaders who serve with their uniquely powerful experiences. <\/h3>\n                    <a href=\"#sendrescue\" class=\"btns pink_btn give_modal\">BECOME A FREEDOM PARTNER<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/section>",
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