Ujjawala Project
Tanuja, 17, was raped by her biological father for six years since she was a child. Although her mother was aware of her trauma, she kept quiet for the fear of her husband. ACRD took her statement and lodged an FIR in the police station against her father. The father was arrested the same day and Tanuja was kept in a safe place. The police and magistrate took her statement and her medical examination was done.
She was produced before the Child Welfare Commission and then was sent to a Children’s Home. Tanuja did not want to stay in the Children’s Home, and was therefore brought to Nava Jeevan. At Nava Jeevan, she was counselled regularly and encouraged to continue with her studies. She also undertook a beauty training course, and slowly Tanuja started recovering. The father got bail after a few months, but the case is still in court.
Tanuja’s mother and other family members have since requested her to withdraw the case, but she is determined to give punishment to her father. Tanuja recently turned 18. She doesn’t want to go back to her family and has decided to stay with her friend who first brought her to ACRD. Her friend’s parents have taken full responsibility of her studies, and Tanuja has started going to school again. Her progress is closely monitored by ACRD. Meanwhile, the court trial is on and she is hoping her father will soon be punished by law.
Sabita, 20, was trafficked to Siliguri in North Bengal to become a commercial sex worker when she was only 12 years old. She was rescued by police after 5 years and sent to the State Rehabilitation Home. She was later on handed over to her mother, a widow. Kabita’s mother and elder sister always ill-treated her at home, because of which she attempted to run away from home several times.
A woman from her neighbourhood pretending to be her well- wisher made arrangement to sell her to a man from Haryana in the false promise of a marriage. She was somehow rescued by a few local people and brought to ACRD, who was sent to Nava Jeevan.
Rubena, a mentally imbalanced girl from a very poor family of a remote village in Morigaon district was working as a domestic help at a house in Guwahati. Her employers would beat and ill-treat her and she ran away from their house. One day, on a hunch, she boarded a bus to her hometown. She was found roaming aimlessly on the streets by some local people, who handed her over to the police.
ACRD’s field staff brought her from the police station and took her to Nava Jeevan. Rubena was not in a condition to identify or tell her address. ACRD left no stones unturned to find out her home, and finally after much despair she was untied with her parents.
Saira Khatun, 12, a victim of trafficking, was rescued by Delhi Police from a street in Delhi. Saira was taken by her grandmother to Delhi from the village and engaged in sex trade. Delhi Police took her to an NGO in Delhi, who later handed her over to ACRD.
She was brought to Nava Jeevan. But, she felt homesick and wanted to see her parents. She was later sent to her native village and handed over to the parents, who have enrolled her in a nearby school on ACRD’s insistence
Ruby Gour, 16, belongs to a very poor family. Her Uncle, who was moving to a different town for some work brought her to Nava Jeevan, fearing that she was vulnerable and could be trafficked. Ruby stayed at Nava Jeevan for two years, where she prepared for her Class 10boardexaminations.
She left for home 15 days before her exams and passed out with flying colours. At present, she is pursuing her higher secondary studies and will appear for examinations soon. Ruby dreams of becoming a school teacher someday.