Ozone Park’s Indo-Caribbean community
gathers to mourn following spousal murder
Donna Dojoy’s family participates in a candle lighting in her name. Photos: Max Parrott/QNS
BY MAX PARROTT
The murder of a 27-year-old
Guyanese woman committed
by her husband in early November
pushed Ozone Park’s
Indo-Caribbean community to
reflect on the recurring incidents
of gender-based violence
in their community.
On Sunday, Dec. 15, a
group dedicated to empowering
Indo-Caribbean women
and addressing gender-based
violence organized a vigil to
honor the life of Donna “Rehanna”
Dojoy and facilitate
a conversation on how to address
spousal violence and
other forms of gender inequity
in their community.
That group, the Jahajee Sisters,
was formed in 2007 soon
after the murders of two young
Indo-Caribbean women that
fit a pattern of gender-based
violence, which the group defines
as crimes that are rooted
in gender inequality.
A group of over 50 gathered
to listen series of musical performances
and eulogies for Dojoy
that took place in front of
an alter for her and five other
female victims that the group
has memorialized since its
inception.
One of these victims,
Natasha Ramen, a Guyanese
woman from Hollis, was
stabbed to death by her alleged
rapist before she could testify
against him in court.
“We felt at that time like the
silence around her death was
devastating and deafening. It
felt like none of our community
leaders at the time, who
TIMESLEDGER |2 QNS.COM | JAN. 3-JAN. 9, 2020
were mostly men, were speaking
up for us,” said co-founder
Shivana Jorawar.
Dojoy, a “joyful, kind and
caring child” who loved to
karaoke Bollywood songs at
the bar where she worked,
was stabbed by her husband,
33-year-old Dineshwar Budhidat,
whose body was found
hanging from a tree later the
same night after texting his
cousin that he intended to kill
himself.
Dojoy had an order of protection
against her husband,
after he was arrested Aug. 21
for slapping and strangling
her in their apartment.
“She grew up to be a beautiful
lady — was educated at
the University of Guyana. She
came here for a better life. She
was seeking an opportunity to
be able to better help her family
back home,” said her aunt
Sweta Dojoy.
After the ceremony, organizers
split the group into
men, women and gender-nonconforming
groups in order
to have a discussion on what
gives rise to gender-based violence
in their communities and
how they can counteract it.
In the men’s circle, the
conversation moved from moments
where intervention is
necessary to forms of masculinity
that are commonly reinforced
in Guyanese culture.
“I don’t think there’s many
spaces for men to get together
and talk about something this
sensitive,” said Rohan Narine.
“I realized being in spaces like
this–how it’s so important.”
Together the groups put
together a series of recommendations
and projects based on
the conversations. Guides on
how to identify toxic behavior,
sensitivity trainings, advice
for religious leaders and parents
to address gender-based
violence will all be taken into
consideration as the Jahajee
Sisters create their program
for the next fiscal year, according
to Jorawar.
After the Dojoy family sat
through dedication and candle
lighting for their dead loved
one in tears, her aunt praised
the work of the Jahajee Sisters.
“I’m grateful and hopefully
it will help other young people
to avoid this kind of tragedy
and families to endure this
kind of suffering,” said Sweta
Dojoy.
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