Rescue Junction Supports Street Children in India

Hello Everyone!

I hope this update finds you and your family well. With reference to our last report may I send you the link for our Justice Project. This project was set up because our staff at Rescue Junction are extremely busy and it was decided that if we had a dedicated legal team we could help to ensure working with our local agencies that those whom traffic and abuse children can be brought to justice and taken out of circulation, and therefore unable to harm others. We have already had some success and we need support so the team can continue their excellent work.

Here is the link and it’s also mentioned below in the links..

https://www.globalgiving.org/microprojects/not-for-sale

Our Covid related continues at pace and may I invite you to take a look here

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/helping-the-poor-in-bihar-india-to-survive-covid

This is also mentioned in the links.

Here is a story of a child recently rescued,

In recent months there has also been an increase in cases of forced marriages. Families marry their daughters to have one less mouth to feed. We’ve come across cases where children as young as 12 have been trafficked into a forced marriage.

He is one survivor's story, (we have changed the name in accordance with our child protection procedures)

My name is Sheetal, I am 13 years of age, Due to Covid my village school closed for long time but I tried to keep up with my studies with my mobile phone but it was old phone and needed repairing and I did not have 500 rupees (about $7 to repair it) We were already very poor and covid made it worse…. so, my family decided to marry me, although I pleaded with them to not do it. My groom was 21 years of age!

In the village I live near Gaya some of the children were aware of a special number for children in trouble which you can call without charge and I borrowed my friend’s phone and called them they were so caring. I was speaking to a lady from Rescue Junction and they told me that they would come and talk to my parents. Within 24 hours they came with a lady Police officer and my parents signed a legal bond saying I would not be married before 18 years of age and would be allowed to continue my education. But my parents woke me up just 3 nights later to drive to an unknown place for my marriage.

Luckily my friend saw and heard the commotion, (I was kicking and screaming before they blocked my mouth) and I made a phone sign she understood and called the emergency number ....as the vehicle was local, she was able to give the registration number.  After about 10km as we were passing the nearby town the police stopped the vehicle and rescued me, and I was sent straight to Rescue Junction. There the staff were so kind and gentle.

It took some months but after a big meeting at Rescue Junction I returned home under the supervision and with support from Rescue Junction. And I have restarted my education as far as Covid situation will allow.

I cannot thank everyone at Rescue Junction enough and all of you who help children like me.

May God Bless you All.

 With so much thanks to you all ..may you all have a great Easter Break

Priyadarshini Gupta

Links:

• Our Justice project
• Our Covid related work

Namaste from all at Rescue Junction

Everyone at the junction hopes this mail finds you well.

We have been very busy as usual here at the Junction with over 200 referrals this month.

They fell into the following categories,

Lost or separated from parents or guardians             18%

All successfully reunited within 24 hours

Trafficked children                                                         27%

Protection care and rehabilitation going on   

Referred by Police and law enforcement agencies    21%

Protection care and rehabilitation going on

Referred by peer group (other Children)                     11%

Phone referrals                                                               20%

Other                                                                                 3%

After reassuring and counselling the children they will appear before the local child welfare committee which is chaired by an ex-People First Officer and held in Rescue Junction itself to determine what course of action is in the child’s best interests.

You can see from the above how your wonderful donations are working in a very real and direct way for the children. I would like you to kindly take a look at the video below which although not new gives a good indication of our work... its also in the links below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FBPm17_pGI

May I also inform you about a very important new micro project on GlobalGiving whereby we would like to strengthen our action against traffickers and abusers and bring justice for the survivors. We can fund this whole programme for 5K dollars a year but any help no matter how small is most welcome. Help us catch the traffickers and ensure justice for the children

Our Covid related work is very much going on look out for a new appeal on GlobalGiving (if approved) shortly.

We hope that you and all your family are safe and well and as always, we send our heartfelt gratitude to you for your kindness and compassion.

In our next report we will hear from some of the children themselves.

With warm best Wishes,   

 Priyadarshini Gupta

Links:

• The work of Rescue Junction