TRAFFICKING

Sixteen-year-old Rima Deka’s (name changed) life has not been so kind to her. She was barely two when her father passed away. Raised by her mother single-handedly, both mom and daughter lived with her grandmother who would often torture and blame them for her father’s death.

After years of torture, one day Rima was separated from her mother who was sold off to an agent in Delhi to work in a brothel. Meanwhile, Rima’s torture continued in the hands of her grandmother. She was starved for weeks and was physically weak. She was not even enrolled in school and was forced to do all the household chores and work in a tea garden.

But, the bond she shared with her mother could not keep Rima away from her mother for long. Her mother eventually returned home after two years with the help of a known person she met in Delhi.

During an awareness programme of ACRD, Rima’s mother came to know about our rehabilitation home Navajeevan. Rima was brought to the home and counselled. She is now enrolled in a government school nearby and attends school regularly. She is also being given vocational training on tailoring, cutting, flower making in the home. She loves her new life and both mother and daughter are happy. Rima’s mother visits her sometimes during holidays. “I am happy my daughter has found hope in life. She is safe in Navajeevan and I no longer have to worry about her future,” says Rima’s mother with a smile.

Three young girls from Boko in Kamrup district, in the age group of 20-27 years were working as labourers in a construction site, where they met two men who promised them marriage and a better future in Mumbai.

The girls were taken to Mumbai where they were handed over to a pimp without their knowledge. They were forced into prostitution and after a few months when Mumbai police conducted a raid in the area, they were rescued. They were handed over to an NGO in Mumbai who later sent them to Assam after the court passed an order for their restoration. After reaching Assam, they were handed over to ACRD to rehabilitate them in our shelter home Navajeeven. The girls are currently in the home where they are counselled regularly and given vocational skill based training on various trades.