Help ex-Devadasi and Padma Shri awardee Sitavva rebuild the lives of women and children rescued from exploitation

“I was 12 when my family expected me to earn through flesh trade. By the time I was 14, I already had two children. I used to dread sunsets and nights. I went hungry many times because of the pain,” says Sitavva Joddati, a former Devadasi and CEO of MASS, an NGO fighting against the illegal Devadasi system.

Thousands of girls are still being forced into a life of exploitation under the garb of illegal and banned Devadasi system. Sitavva, once a victim of exploitation fought tooth and nail to protect these girl children and was even awarded the Padma Shri for her efforts. However, she can not fight this battle alone and needs your help. Stand with her against exploitation. Donate now

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Charitable donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India).

A mission to free every girl from cruelty

In many parts of India, the Devadasi system, though officially banned, continues to destroy lives. Young girls, some as young as 10 or 12, are dedicated by their own mothers and later pushed into a life of exploitation. Once trapped, there’s little hope for escape. 

“My parents told me I had to earn for the family and that’s why I was made a Devadasi,” says Sitavva. “But today I want no girl to go through the exploitation I faced at such a young age.”

Sitavva became CEO of Mahila Abhivruddi Mattu Samrakshana Samsthe (MASS) — a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating women and girls caught in the Devadasi system. MASS is run by former Devadasis and works for those still struggling to escape. Sitavva never got to live a childhood. She lived years without safety, dignity, or peace. But she chose to break the cycle, and now helps others do the same.

Today, MASS helps hundreds of women with education, legal aid, financial independence, shelter, mental health support, and community outreach. But Sitavva and her team cannot do it alone. They need your support.

An injustice that continues in silence

Despite being banned by law, the Devadasi system survives in pockets across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. In some villages, girls are still being raised with the idea that they are meant to earn for their families and not through work or education, but through abuse.

And when these women try to break free, they face threats, stigma, and poverty. Without urgent support, many fall back into the same system they tried to escape.

“Had I been married, at least there would be someone to share the burden. But as a Devadasi, I was on my own,” Sitavva adds.

Since its inception, MASS has supported over 4,000 women and continues to campaign to end this practice permanently, but lack of resources remains a huge challenge.

Help Sitavva free more women. Donate now to end this system of exploitation forever.

Donate to help them reclaim lost lives

Every woman Sitavva helps represents a powerful story — of courage, of healing, of survival. A girl rescued from abuse. A mother reunited with her children. A survivor who now earns with pride and dignity. These aren’t just statistics — they’re lives being rebuilt from the ground up.

But these transformations come with effort, care, and cost. MASS urgently needs resources to continue their work — from shelters and legal aid to vocational training and community education.

Your donation can change a life

With your support, MASS can continue to:

• Rehabilitate rescued Devadasi survivors
• Provide safe shelter, food, and emotional care
• Offer skill training and economic empowerment
• Prevent second-generation exploitation through education
• Campaign for an end to the Devadasi system

Donate to this fundraiser by Give, India’s most trusted online donation platform, to support Mahila Abhivruddi Mattu Samrakshana Samsthe (MASS) in its fight against exploitation of young girls and children.