For years, Rashida Dange was seen only as a body inside institutions, a woman others decided could not survive outside hospital walls. Her pain, her memories and her desire to live were ignored. What changed her life was not confinement or control, but being listened to and believed.
Through Bapu Trust’s Going Home program, Rashida was supported to step beyond the hospital gate… slowly, patiently, and with dignity. She was provided a space to observe, to speak, to be heard, to rebuild daily routines, to care for herself, and to imagine a life in the community again. With consistent support, trust, and accompaniment, she moved from silence to voice, from fear to choice and from institutional life to living independently in the community.
This is not just the story of Rashida.
It is the lived reality of many persons with psychosocial disabilities who are locked away, disbelieved, and denied the right to belong. It is also a reminder of what is possible when community support systems and support services replaces institutional models.
