Upliftment from poverty to prevent sex trafficking

Dear Global Givers,

We are delighted to provide an update on the remarkable progress in preventing sex trafficking in India by uplifting individuals from poverty. As part of our Rakshan initiative, we recently visited a village in the Tonk district, where we witnessed the transformative impact of goatry farms in this context.

In India, poverty is a critical factor contributing to vulnerability and increasing the risk of individuals, particularly women, and children, falling victim to sex trafficking. It is imperative to address the root causes of this issue by empowering individuals through sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Goatry units have emerged as a highly successful intervention, offering a tangible pathway out of poverty and creating a protective environment that significantly reduces the likelihood of exploitation. During our visit, we witnessed the following transformative developments in the goatry farms.

Through your support, Asha Devi (name changed), one of the beneficiaries in Kotkhawada village, received two goats and two adorable baby goats three months ago. This timely intervention aimed to uplift Asha and her family from poverty, safeguarding them against the risks of sex trafficking.

We are delighted to report that the goats and their kids are in excellent health and vitality. The attached pictures serve as vivid proof of the goatry unit's positive impact on their well-being.

Beyond physical well-being, the goatry unit has also enhanced the nutrition and happiness of Asha's family. With three children, the entire family is elated to have access to fresh goat's milk. The milk's nutritional value contributes to the children's overall health and vitality, ensuring their holistic development.

Asha's family receives one litre of milk daily from one of the goats. The other goat is awaiting pregnancy, further boosting milk production and augmenting their nutritional and economic sustainability.

In addition to the immense health benefits, Asha shared that her family is saving a minimum of INR 1500 ($18) per month by consuming and selling goat's milk. This newfound financial stability is instrumental in preventing vulnerabilities associated with poverty and mitigating the risk of exploitation.

What sets Asha apart is her compassion and generosity. She expressed her intention to share two goats with a needy family shortly, extending the ripple of positive change beyond her household. This act of kindness ensures that the benefits of the goatry unit reach and uplift other families from poverty, forging stronger community bonds.

It is heartening to observe that the presence of goats in Asha's family has profoundly impacted the well-being of her children. They exude joy, health, and resilience, underscoring the instrumental role of such interventions in preventing sex trafficking and promoting holistic development.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our esteemed donors, whose unwavering support has made these interventions possible. Your belief in our cause and invaluable contributions have brought about a significant positive change in the lives of individuals like Asha and her family.

We humbly appeal to you to continue supporting our efforts to uplift more individuals from poverty and prevent sex trafficking. Your continued partnership will enable us to expand the reach of these interventions, create more sustainable livelihood opportunities, and build a safer and more equitable society for all.

With heartfelt gratitude and appreciation,
Team iPartner India

Dear Global Givers,

Here’s an update from our campaign ‘Upliftment from poverty to prevent sex trafficking’ where iPartner India’s project Rakshan is providing alternate livelihood options to families to prevent them from sending their young daughters to engage in commercial sex work. In this community, they still continue with an age-old practice of pushing young girls into inter-generational sex work.

Rakshan is an intervention program of iPartner India to provide safe spaces for children in Rajasthan’s Tonk district. It uses a holistic model approach to increase the educational levels and improve the health conditions of girls and boys while also providing rural women and men with alternative livelihood opportunities. The project is designed to create nodal points of collaboration, action, and engagement between families, communities, and the legal, administrative, economic, and socio-cultural environment.

Our past interventions in these communities have shown that by providing a pair of goats, families have found an alternate livelihood to supplement their family income. This puts less pressure on their daughters to become commercial sex workers and allows them to go to school. Since the start of this intervention, our team on the ground has also found that there has been an increase in nutritional intake as these families have now a steady income to provide for their families.

Over the past two years, iPartner India has distributed 16 pairs of goats to resource-poor families through the support of offline donors. During a series of interviews with these families as a follow-up, our team observed that there is a steady increase in their income. Average earnings from selling goat milk per family are INR 750/month ($9). One of the beneficiaries has been able to save up to INR 2,000 ($24) which was earlier spent on purchasing milk.

During this period, a 3-day training was organized with the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI) to build the capacities of the families that rear goats. The training focused on how to rear healthy goats and ways to upscale their units. Now all beneficiaries take due care of the goats as per the guidelines shared during the training.

This year, iPartner India aims to add 10 more families through this campaign. Families of the 10 most vulnerable girls have been shortlisted and they will receive one pair of goats each in the coming months. Since the rearing of goats demands minimum investments in terms of caring for the livestock, these units will give maximum returns on investments over a period of time.

Thank you, Global Givers, for your continued support over the years. We strongly believe that together through this campaign, we will bring about changes in the community by allowing vulnerable girls to pursue education and break away from the bondage of being tied to traditional norms.

With deep gratitude,
Team iPartner India