Since 2018 the Guardian Angels have operated in Hyderabad India under the leadership of William & Jayashree Mayfield. Nancy & I were able to meet the couple personally when they visited the United States prior to the lockdown. Since its inception, the Guardian Angels in India has heavily focused on self-defense training for women who are particularly vulnerable to physical assaults. And this problem has exacerbated as new people have poured into the region.
To put this in perspective, New York City encompasses just a little over 300 sq miles & has remained just under 8.5 million for the past decade. Hyderabad, on the other hand, encompasses just 250 sq miles & in the past decade has exploded in population from less than 7 million in 2011 to over 10.5 million residents this year! This population growth is fueled in large part as Hyderabad has become a major center for the technology industry. This additional population has not been met with additional police services leaving women extremely vulnerable and without official recourse.
Last week the Guardian Angels of Hyderabad spent an entire week teaching women empowerment and self protection. The recipients of training were primarily women in the tech industry working in call centers and IT support workers mostly from the lower middle class. Training took place in two segments, catering to both daytime and nighttime workers. Total attendance for the week was over 100 women.
We applaud the continued efforts of the Guardian Angels in India and will keep you posted on their progress in the future.
