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QUEENS WEEKLY, JANUARY 5, 2020
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-yearold
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 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.
Reach reporter Max Parrott
by e-mail at mparrott@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260-2507.
/schnepsmedia.com