Gift Freedom to 500 Victims of Sex Trafficking

Seema* was only 12 when she was first pushed into prostitution by her own father under the guise of traditional and cultural practise that their community followed in the remote village of Madhya Pradesh, India. For the next two years her father solicited customers for her who physically and sexually exploited her. 

When she turned 15 he, eyeing for more money contracted her to one of the brothel keeper in Ganga Jamuna- a red-light area in Nagpur district of Maharashtra for a year for the amount of INR 3,00,000/-. Within few months she was rescued by the police and put in protective custody of government run shelter home.

Save The Children India's efforts to strike a conversation with her were failures as she was not ready to participate in activities and counselling. The team soon realised that she has been brainwashed to an extent where she considers that she is born to be prostituted and support her family this and there is no other way a life can be.

After a struggle of 6 months she started sitting for literacy sessions, during one of the interaction she shared with the trainer that she once dramed that she has become a teacher. And that is when it all began.

After consistent efforts we have Seema now appearing for her S.S.C. board exam (public examination for grade 10th) from Maharashtra state starting in next two days. There are other 8 survivors of sex trafficking appearing along with her with dreams to become doctors, engineers and joining Indian police services. 

This is the most pressured time for the team to ensure that they revise well, carry everything that they need to the examination hall and reach well within time. But what makes these efforts smooth is the support that we receive from the donors like you.

I am thankful for your trust and support to the project that helps us give best to Seema and many like her. 

We now request your best wishes for them for the exam and future ahead.

*Name Changed to Protect Identity

An eighteen year old Minal* (name changed to protect identity) hails from the beautiful valley state of Jammu and Kashmir. She lived there with her grandmother her father and her siblings. Minal has undergone schooling till the 10th grade. Minal has not known the affection of a mother that is most essential during formative years. She was told that her mother went away when Minal and her siblings were very small. She did not receive the care and love of her grandmother and found solace only in her studies.

While at home Minal had to bear the snide remarks of her grandmother as if she was responsible for her mother going away and that Minal also would follow her footsteps. Her father also was not much of help as he instead of standing up for his daughter joined her grandmother and would in drunken state often beat her up. After her 10th grade her family stopped her from going to school and even discontinued her tuitions. This came as a huge blow to Minal as it was only in education that she found her escapism. After being deprived of the education Minal felt that there was nothing that held her back to her home. Frustrated and depressed Minal left home with nothing but a few clothes and some money and arrived in Mumbai.

While in Mumbai she lived in a cheap lodging facility in Mumbai Central and within a couple of days she ran out of all the money that she had carried. Realizing her vulnerability a bellboy of the lodge threatened her to pay money or provide sexual services to customers who need it. Shattered with the exploitation she was facing at the hands of strangers, she also attempted to commit suicide. She was rescued after 20 days of experiencing living hell and referred to Save The Children India for rehabilitation.

Since Minal already had undergone secondary education and was desirous of being financially independent however her unpleasant and unfulfilling childhood and recent history of exploitation had affected psychologically mainly building issues related to anxiety, anger and trauma. It took series of counseling session over period of 8 months to cope with trauma until she was sent for an interview with reputed five star hotels in Mumbai she started her career as a room attendant with 12,000 INR a month. Whilst working Minal also plans to realize her dream to acquiring further education and Save The Children India is supporting her to secure admission.

Minal is one of those exemplary survivors who have desire to fight every situation they face in life and serve as motivation of each one of us to strive to do everything that bring their dreams into reality. This quarter we worked with 83 survivors of sex trafficking who are at different level of struggles. Some struggling with writing their names to someone struggling to brand their business but what is fulfilling is the support that we have from likeminded people like you, I am short of words to thank you for your contribution. Today is the day when you can make your donation work twice. Every donation that we receive today in build live of girls like Minal will be matched. Look forward to have you with us always in this journey of building lives and futures.