Kiran: Breaking the Cycle of Abuse
The Triangle Community Foundation did a feature on Kiran!
In the late 1990s, the South Asian community began increasing in the Triangle. Alongside this population increase came domestic violence issues, a topic often kept quiet in the community. A small group of advocates began meeting wherever they could – sharing advice, navigating solutions, and providing resources to individuals in need of help. Though meeting in homes or local parks worked temporarily, they quickly learned the need was escalating.
The number of individuals in need of help continued to increase and in 2008 Kiran (which in Hindi means “ray of light”) was founded, with one staff person well versed in grant writing, allowing them to apply for their first grant, and many volunteers. By 2013, Kiran had the financial stability to provide legal and mental health support to their clients, but expanded services and capacity was necessary as word continued to spread…