Child Protection India Project #18450

Keep children safe from traffickers in India

by iPartner India

Keep children safe from traffickers in India

Project Report | May 19, 2015
Every Child Matters, Every Voice Counts

By Sumitra Mishra | Project Leader

Dear Friends,

It has been three months since we launched Every8Minutes campaign and we are happy to share some of our updates about the campaign.

Manju (name changed) was only 15 years old when she was first trafficked from Jharkhand to Delhi. She was lured by a placement agency on the pretext of finding her a decent job in Delhi. Upon enquiry, Manju’s parents found that the address given was a fake. This was how her parents found out that she had been trafficked for domestic servitude. “I was very scared as I have never left my hometown. Initially I was happy that I will get proper food and shelter, however, my employer turned out to be terrible. I was made to work for more than 15 hours a day. I could never leave the house and they fed me leftover food. I really missed my parents and my home. Although we were poor at least I was happier back in my hometown.”

Every8Minutes has partnered with HAQ – Centre for Child Rights to drive the Campaign against Child Trafficking (CACT). In January this year a national consultation of CACT partners from 13 states came together in New Delhi to develop a framework to track the status of missing children in India.

The most recent data on missing children put out by the Home Ministry in the Parliament shows that over 325,000 children went missing between 2011 and 2014 (till June 2014) at an average of nearly 100,000 children going missing every year. In Jharkhand, 32,000 to 35,000 girls have been recorded to be trafficked every year out of which 87% of the girls are below the age of 18 years, and among which about 78% of the girls are within the age of 10-14 years. Many tribal children and women are trafficked to other states for the purpose of domestic services, as they are considered to be very hard working.

Your support to Every8Minutes is based on the fundamental belief that trafficking of children is one of the gravest violations of human rights of children. It is this bold stand you have taken that enables us to save girls like Manju and send traffickers like Arjun to the jail.

Every8Minutes is now taking the campaign of anti child trafficking to 13 states of India to ensure child traffickers are punished swiftly and trafficked victims are compensated and rehabilitated immediately. The campaign will pressurize Anti Human Trafficking Units and National Tracking Systems to monitor all suspicious movement of children and to promptly report the crime.

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity.

Yours truly,

iPartner India Team

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Feb 13, 2015
iPartner India launches the Every8Minutes Campaign -Thank You For Your Support

By Sumitra Mishra | Project Leader

Dear Global Givers!

Thank you!

You Global Givers have catapulted us to another game changing milestone – we’ve launched a nationwide research to trace the status of missing children, thanks to your support! Children who’ve gone invisible in the dark recesses of brothels, brick kilns, sweatshop factories, begging syndicates and as child bride slaves, have an opportunity to tell their horror story, because someone is now looking out for those undocumented missing children.

Sonu (name changed) is 14 years old. She was recently traced from her village in West Bengal and rescued from her trafficker–pimp in New Delhi. When she came in to the safe shelter home she was drugged, incoherent and under serious mental trauma. And she was carrying a baby in her arms – her eight month old son! She was malnourished, had bruises all over her body and turned violent when an adult approached her or attempted to comfort the baby. She was a frail, damaged child holding on to another under nourished child.

By signing up to the Every8Minutes campaign, you are sending your strength and your voice to every child like Sonu who is waiting to be rescued. iPartner India works closely with local NGOs and government agencies to rescue children, provide immediate medical care, legal protection, long term healing, nutrition, education and a chance to reclaim their rights as children.In the last five years iPartner India has saved the lives of 20,250 child trafficking victims in 11 states in India.

Sonu and her baby have spent the last two months at the Delhi based shelter home and its impact is already visible on them. The little boy cries less now, is taken care of by his large extended family of other residents in the home and is showing signs of healthy development. Sonu on the other hand is still wary, has bursts of temper and mostly stays withdrawn. But the best thing is she no longer resists participating in the activities of the home. And is even beginning to share some chores! Sonu is receiving treatment for her various infections and illnesses. She has to go to the courts every fortnight to record her story. Sonu has a long time before she discovers she is still a child.

We are determined to give Sonu all the time she needs to heal herself and plan a future for herself. We are determined to find those children who are not as lucky as Sonu is now. And we can only do this with your support.

Thank you for making this your personal commitment. Thank you for asking your friends to support you in this cause.

Yours truly,

iPartner India team

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