Victim Stories
Manju
Manju, at 12 years, was trafficked to New Delhi. Her parents were daily wage laborers with five children. A local agent told them, Manju could have a job in the city. Because her parents were desperate, they let the agent leave with Manju. Instead of getting the promised job, she was sold. The agent tried making a deal -₹50,000(US$800)- with a man and failed because the agent demanded more money than he would give. Manju was then raped by the agent, blamed for the failed deal. After almost two years, she was rescued by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, an NGO.
Ayesha
“I still remember that moment when my whole world shattered into pieces. I’ve been tortured and abused and survived serious injuries inflicted by buyers and pimps, but nothing hurts as much as the pain of being deceived by the man I loved,” Ayesha said. In a small village, she lived with her father and eight siblings. They were very poor. She had a close relationship with someone twice her age. He wanted to marry her. It was very common for young girls to get married in her village, so she married him. He wanted to leave the village(to the city)with her so they could be alone together. Fully trusting him, she went along as she had never been in the city. That night when they arrived, she was sold. There were girls in lipstick and short skirts lined up, taking men into rooms. She was tortured and abused by pimps and buyers.
Nasima Gain
"I think it was the first time I was wearing a sari and remember being very happy. That morning, I never imagined that I would be so terrified by night," Nasima Gain said. One day, she(at 14 years old) was out with her friends, then sold and trapped in her community’s sex trafficking industry. After being rescued, she refused to leave her house or talk to her friends/family for a year, ashamed of her dark experience. Till this day, she refuses to explain to her parents what happened.
Organizations
Anti-trafficking organizations and/or non-governmental organizations have had great impacts on victims not only in India but across the globe too. Due to the psychological effects of human trafficking, it is very hard for victims to recover from such a traumatic experience, especially if they’re really young. NGOs work to not only help victims heal physically because of all the bruises, burns and scars that they get after being abused by their owner/buyer, but also help heal mentally, so that they can successfully live their lives, as the trauma can easily change victims’ view on people and the world overall.
Prajawla
Founded by Sunitha Krishnan & Brother Jose Vetticatil
Prajwala is a non-governmental/profit organization based in India, solely devoted to suppressing sex trafficking and prostitution, as they believe, “No human person deserves to be forced into a situation that destroys dignity and damages the self for a lifetime,” and “Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation is the most dehumanizing trade.” Prajwala provides a value-based holistic education for children that are vulnerable to get inducted into prostitution. They also provide counseling for children at high risk of being sex trafficked, by giving opportunities, dignified livelihood options and personality development. Most organizations have employees work to provide for victims, but Prajwala gets community members and mothers to help victims heal too.
