Protect 50,000 families from trafficking

Ramkali's experience reflects the realities faced by many young tribal women navigating pregnancy, within conditions of seasonal migration, limited documentation and access to public services.

At age of 20, she lives with her husband in a village in Khandwa district where more than half of the 2250 households belong to Scheduled Tribe communities ( a term used in India to identify certain indigenous communities who have historically lived in remote, rural, forested, or hilly areas and have faced social, economic, and educational exclusion) With scarce local livelihood options, families routinely migrate in search of daily wage work. Migration, while essential for survival, places women at the margins of government schemes designed to safeguard maternal health and wellbeing and is a high-risk journey in itself, with threats of trafficking and sexual violence also.

Our team first met Ramkali during a outreach effort in July 2023. The visit enabled her enrolment on the Resilient Communities application and opened a conversation about safe migration practices, available support services and the use of the toll free helpline for assistance.

Through this interaction, the team learned that she was expecting her first child, which positioned her as a potential beneficiary of a national scheme intended to provide financial support to pregnant women. Yet several barriers stood between her and this entitlement.

Like many migrant women, Ramkali had minimal awareness of maternity related schemes and had limited engagement with frontline service providers. With no indetity documents, it prevented her from initiating pregnancy registration and accessing vital benefits.

Her family’s constant movement, combined with social and geographic isolation, meant that government systems remained distant and inaccessible. Without targeted support, she would likely have missed out on the financial and health related assistance designed to protect first time mothers.

Recognising her challenges, our project helped Ramkali access public services. They corrected her official identity records and guided her through the application for a maternity support program. The team also coordinated with local health workers to ensure her registration and documentation were complete, connecting her to safe and informed maternity care.

As a result, Ramkali received financial support during her first pregnancy. For her family with irregular income, this eased immediate financial pressure and improved access to maternal health services.

Ramkali's story demonstrates the importance of proactive outreach, documentation support and coordinated service delivery in ensuring that women from migrant and tribal communities can exercise their rights to maternal health and social protection. Thanks to you, we can reach women like Ramkali and provide them the support essential to both their growth and their child's.

Ishvitha aged 20, lives in the remote tribal village in Madhya Pradesh, where families are forced to move across the country, facing dangerous situtations and risk of trafficking and exploitation, to pursue livelihood opportunities. The village’s population is predominantly from Scheduled Tribes, grappling with social and economic vulnerabilities. Ishvitha's husband, Dinesh,migrates seasonally to Kolhapur, Maharashtra, to earn a living, leaving Ishvitha, a young mother, alone to manage household responsibilities and navigate local systems.

Despite being married for two years, Ishvitha had not been able to update crucial identity documents such as her Aadhaar card and Samagra ID to reflect her marital residence. This meant she was excluded from vital government social welfare programs. The bureaucratic complexities around identity documentation, combined with a lack of awareness about her rights to schemes, left her vulnerable during her pregnancy—a period when support was most critical. The absence of her husband and limited local resources compounded the social isolation and stress she experienced.

“I didn’t know how to change my documents or which government schemes were available for women like me. When I was pregnant, I was scared and alone. I didn’t know who to ask for help.”

Our project partner's team, identified Ishvitha during comprehensive field visits in 2024, recognising her as someone who could greatly benefit from targeted support. The team’s approach was hands-on and personalised:

They conducted detailed counselling sessions to build Ishvitha's awareness around government welfare schemes and social security entitlements, which is quite literally life-saving.
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Provided her with the Migrant Workers’ Helpline number, ensuring she had a reliable emergency contact.
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Took Ishvitha to local government centers to facilitate the updating of her Aadhaar card and began the process for the transfer of her ID from her native village to her marital village, so she could access rights.
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Maintained frequent communication with her husband to coordinate collection and verification of the necessary documents needed for the welfare scheme applications.
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Assisted with the applications for multiple schemes.

The intervention brought significant, tangible changes in her life. Once her documents were updated, she gained access to government maternity and delivery assistance schemes that were previously out of reach. A total of 16,000 was credited to her bank account, providing not only financial relief during a vulnerable period but also a newfound sense of empowerment and security.

This financial assistance meant Ishvitha did not have to worry about medical expenses or basic needs during childbirth. More importantly, the process fostered her confidence and knowledge about social rights for herself and her family.

“Without this project's help, I would have never accessed this money. Their support gave me peace of mind during pregnancy and I felt I was not alone anymore. Now I know about my rights and feel stronger.”

Ishvitha's story shows the hurdles faced by many migrant families caught between geographic displacement and administrative barriers. Lack of proper identity documentation and limited awareness obstruct access to essential government benefits, perpetuating cycles of poverty and vulnerability.

The project’s efforts to bridge these gaps are vital in ensuring that migrant families do not fall through the cracks. The personalised outreach and direct assistance model have demonstrated success in reaching marginalised populations, who are more vulnerable to trafficking and forced labour, and bringing meaningful change.