There is a saying that goes, “When you educate a boy, you educate just one. But when you educate a girl child, you educate a whole household.” Why is it then that a girl child is often neglected? Here is an example of just what happens when children are neglected. Save a childthrough World Vision and help them achieve their dreams. Sponsor a child today.
Savi, 14, her sister Sonali, 17 and their friend Rashmi, 17, were on a bus bound for Motihari, 450 km from Siliguri, West Bengal. It was Savi’s first trip outside the state, and the girls were excited about it. Savi’s parents disapproved of the journey, while Rashmi’s family was unaware of the trip.
Anti-Trafficking Network’s (ATN) timely intervention saved the three minor girls from the clutch of potential traffickers in Siliguri. The girls were lured by the false promise of good jobs and salaries as orchestra dancers at weddings in East Champaran District, Bihar.
“In Bihar, weddings normally end with orchestra dancing, which goes on till early morning. It is not a good place for children. It can lead to sexual abuse,” said Amos, a World Vision India Staff responsible for initiating the Anti-Trafficking Network at Siliguri in 2011. At present, 17 NGOs are part of ATN. Sponsor a child today with us, and educate a girl child.
Vinay kept an eye on the girls and potential traffickers and summoned Amos. They walked up to them and started small talk. A short conversation was enough to convince them that the girls were minors and victims of trafficking in some way or the other. Police were called, and the potential traffickers were arrested for further interrogation. Our staff was focused on their mission to save a child through their interventions.
“Siliguri is a transit point for Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Darjeeling, and Eastern Bihar (India). Human trafficking is common and a major problem here. Traffickers target minors from the poorest and most dysfunctional families. We work closely with the NGOs to get information and to stop trafficking,” said Inspector Pankaj Thapa, In-charge of Pradhan Nagar Police Station. Such families have innate issues and therefore do not educate a girl child. To save a child stuck in such a situation, sponsor a child today. According to him, the station alone receives 5-6 minor missing cases each month.
An FIR (First Information Report) was registered against the potential traffickers, and they were produced at Siliguri court. Nearly three months after the arrest, no one has come forward to meet them or bail them out, further affirming their status as traffickers. We are always grateful to our staff and the police as they aid us immensely in our mission to save a child.
World Vision India helped find shelter for Savi, Sonali, and Rashmi, and they are currently placed at a shelter home run by Children in Need Institute (CINI).“At the shelter home, we counselled them and help them recover from the shock and trauma they might have gone through. We also do various learning activities and get in touch with parents and set up opportunities for them to meet the children,” said Rohini, caretaker of the shelter home.
World Vision India spearheads the Anti-Trafficking Network in Siliguri. “We meet once every month. The network is very strong here. We have a WhatsApp group, and we update every information there,” said Amos, standing outside the New Jalpaiguri train station, after receiving another lead of trafficking from the police in Sikkim, the neighboring state. Our staff is focused and is immensely happy when they save a child. We believe the way forward is always to educate a girl child. Sometimes, this requires financial assistance; where we ask for your assistance and humbly request you to sponsor a child today!
At the shelter home, Savi’s innocence remained intact. “I just wanted to see new places with my sister,” she said. Savi’s was the most cheerful of the three. The gravity of the situation began to set in only after they were sensitized and counselled. She wants to go back to school. Sonali wants to become a beautician. Rashmi feels great guilt for betraying her family’s trust and wants to do justice for the support she receives by finishing her studies and getting a good job. Help us educate a girl child like Rashmi and sponsor a child today.
According to the 2016 NCRB report, only 32.9% of trafficked victims (67.5% are girls) were rescued in west Bengal. Many victims don’t get second chances. But these girls do.
Sponsor a Child in India today’s time is the best thing we can do.
Because every child does not have enough money for education.
Even every child is not lucky to have food or a home.
Sponsor a Child in India can make the career of a child in this competitive world.
We all know how tough, it is right now in the world.
Without education, we can’t even think to survive in this competitive world.
