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>View discussions about this entry Country: India
Organization: Rescue Foundation
Sector Focus - Other
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2000
Project URL: http://www.rescuefoundation.net
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - 1. Besides exposing slavery’s hidden role in commerce, we rescue, rehabilitate and repatriate these victims of human trafficking who are subjected to inhuman torture in the brothels for forced prostitution.
METHODS OF COERCION • Implicit or explicit threat of violence: This can be directed at the victim or at her family back in the country of origin to ensure compliance. • Restrictions on freedom of movement: Traffickers often confiscate the victim's identity or travel documents to control their movements and ensure that they do not try to escape. • Debt bondage: The trafficked victim is normally in debt to traffickers or to their own family. They believe that eventually they will be able to make money, but their debt is inflated through exorbitant charges for interest, accommodation, food • Fear of Authorities: victims are often in the country illegally and therefore are afraid that if they go to the authorities to make a complaint or to seek protection they will be imprisoned or deported. • Isolation: Typically the victim will not know the language of country to which they have been brought; will have no money to live on let alone pay for a return ticket home; and will not have anybody that they can turn to for help. • Emotional attachment: The trafficked person forms an emotional attachment to the trafficker and, they find it difficult to recognize their trafficker as an exploiter and to break free of them. Irrefutable is the fact that trafficking in women and children, an obscene affront to their dignity and rights, is a gross commercialization of innocent human lives, indulged in by organized criminals. Trafficking violates all known canons of human rights and dignity. In this world of tragic and complex human abuse, women and children form a particularly vulnerable class. In the existing social scenario in India, vulnerability is a product of inequality, low status and discrimination as well as the patriarchal and captivating authority unleashed on children, especially the girl child. This should be included in the mosaic as this is very practical work we are involved in. Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - 10. A. Investigators visit brothels as decoy customers to gain entry and conduct in-
brothel counseling with girls. This is a risky but novel innovation adopted by us to approach the girls. B. Wherever possible we even arrange marriages with the full knowledge and consent of the boy and his parents. C. Our network consists of informers, past victims, rival brothel keepers, investigators and sometimes police. This is a very intricate and large information network created by any NGO. D. We own sophisticated equipment like Bio-Radar which enables us to locate living beings in the hidden cells in the brothels from behind the walls. E. We arrange mock trials to train girls in legal and court proceedings. F. For initiating profits for the NGO to be able to continue humanitarian activities in difficult times, we have implemented agricultural farming and Milk production in our land of about 50 acres whereby we also train rescued girls as farm labor and for Animal husbandry which are the main occupations in the villages and interiors from where they hail. Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - Over the past decade our management and team of employees are very well
trained and are capable of managing rescue. Rehabilitation and repatriation including detailed investigation and in-brothel counseling. Our staff member has been trained in Germany for the operation of Bio- Radar How do you plan to grow your innovation? - 12. Our innovations listed above grow by natural process of practice and continuous
improvements in communications. All the points listed from A to E are already implemented in our day to day practice. The point listed in F namely agricultural farming is under implementation. This point will generate income for the NGO and it is very necessary to sustain these humanitarian activities in difficult times because the influx of girls for forced prostitution continues unabated and it would be inhuman to stop the activities of rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation for want of funds. Our activities of agricultural farming and milk production by rearing cattle will atleast partly sustain our organization to continue the basic requirements.We believe that all NGOs should innovate ways and means to generate income to sustain their social activities so that they do not have to be stopped in difficult times and so that the available funds with the funders can be allotted to other needy NGOs. We have already taken steps to grow by establishing three Protective Homes as under where all our activities carry on : a) Protective Home for 50 girls at Kandivali. Mumbai b) Protective Home for 100 girls at Boisar, District Thane c) Protective Home for 25 girls at Pune. Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? - 13. We definitely seek collaboration with many other NGOs who are situated in the
source area from where these girls are trafficked. There are many NGOs in different states of India as well as Nepal and Bangladesh who expertise in rehabilitation and repatriation process. Naturally we cannot be expected to be proficient in all the different languages like Indian, Nepalese and Bangladeshi languages. Even the customs in the villages and interiors of these different places are different. Hence the local source NGOs are much better suited to handle the problems associated with repatriation. We have the cooperation of atleast one efficient NGO in every state of India. In Nepal, we take the assistance from a well known NGO in Kathmandu Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - Rebirth of innocent, underprivileged girls/children and reintegration into respectable society by regenerating their faith in mankind and training them for sustenance
How many people have you served or plan to serve? - Our performance is obvious from the number of girls rescued, rehabilitated and repatriated by us as under:
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? - All the measures of the impact are described above,.
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? - The beneficiaries of our intervention are the innocent, underprivileged, less educated girls/women/children who are the victims of human trafficking and are sold for forced prostitution against their will. They hail from the villages and interiors of India, Nepal and Bangladesh where the financial condition of their families are poor and they are not well educated. Due to the circumstances listed above, they are coerced and trafficked. It is the duty of the better endowed section of the society to extend our helping hand to them.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Since we are a Non-Profit NGO, our activities so far are financed by Grants from European countries and U.S.A.
Since the awareness about the problems of Human Trafficking is much better in the western world and since our work is downright practical , we expect that the resourceful organizations all over the world will be ready to support us. If known, provide information on your finances and organization - Annual budget;
Annual revenue generated; Number of staff: ,. Annual budget of our organization is about two and half cores. At present we are able to manage our budget with the grants from our supporters Our organization Rescue Foundation is a registered and Licensed NGO which is been actively involved in Rescuing, Rehabilitating, Reintegrating and Repatriating unfortunate Girls/ Women who are trafficked from different parts of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, etc. These girls are sold in the Brothels of Mumbai, Pune, turbhe, Bhiwandi, etc for forced Prostitution. Pune has emerged as one of the leading city where large number of such brothels are situated. We have Dedicated, Devoted and Determinant staff of about 50 people and result oriented management Ultimate repatriation involves Happy Marriage. Rescue Foundation humbly announces that till now eleven of our girls have been married with the consent of the Boy’s families We arrange two picnics annually for the girls to water parks and other picnic destination. What is the potential demand for your innovation? - . As our organization is fully capable of fulfilling all duties, our potential demand would be suitable dedicated staff and funding.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - . The increasing inflamation rate in India has reached all time high of almost 9%. This is the main barrier in our financial sustainability. Our supporters are pleased as they have personally visited us several times and seen our progress and transparency.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - Founder President
BALKRISHNA ACHAR Y A From childhood his nature was revolutionary & he always attempted to struggle against unjust & anti-social situation. That is the reason that he left his studies and jumped into Indian Army which Would serve his country even at a danger to his life. Then, latter, he came across the humble faces of unfortunate girls who were going through hell in the red light district of Kamatipura in Mumbai and risked his life to rescue them.In 1995, a Nepali small girl was crying pathetically in a dark room, wanting to be rescued from the inhuman trade of forced prostitution. That night he could not sleep. On the next day, also he lost his sleep. A person who was stronger than stone, appeared even more delicate than cotton. He was totally shaken. On one side he was surrounded by family, business and society while on the other side a deep rooted desire for changing the fate of these unfortunate girls to kindle hope of integrating with respectable society. He courageously decided to walk on a novena path From that day onwards, a distinct change came over him. It looked as if he started a part time honorary job in the red light area of Mumbai. In the evening, when he used to down the shutter of the shop early and move to the red light area of Kamatipura early in the night, it was a matter of frightful surprise to all. He was counselling one girl who wanted to be rescued. God wished him to rescue five girls. And at the time of rescue, 13 girls came forward. It was like a God-sent Father had come to rescue them and give them a new life. That particular day also his eyes were wet but they were wet by tears of joy. Slowly, he distanced himself from the family and started getting involved in the perils of red light areas. The possessiveness of the family and their concem about his safety were many a times instrumental in their try to persuade him not to get involved in such dangerous activities. But he was engrossed in his will to serve the mankind by rescuing these unfortunate humans. He transformed himself into a savior of the underprivileged. On one hand, the heart breaking cries of these thousands of girls and on the other hand, the lack of finance made him pursue his resolution ever so strongly. Luckily he got the support of Ms. Anuradha Koirala, President of Maiti Nepal. Her support proVided him with the strength to pursue his objective vigorously. This was the beginning in an organized way. Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material - Triveni Bal Krishna Acharya
Date Of Birth 1st December 1964 Education 1992 B.A Gujarat University Diploma in Journalism C.N.M Cool Awards • Kutch Shakti Award for Social Service in 2001. Language Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, English Contact Information:
Triveni Acharya
President Rescue Foundation (Non profit NGO) projects@rescuefoundation.net plot 39, Fathimadevi Rd, Poinsur, Kandivali (W), Mumbai 400067 India Tel: 91-022-28060707 Fax: 91-22-28084161/28663322 Website: www.rescuefoundation.net Discussions about this entry
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To Investigate, Rescue, SafeCustody, HealthCare, LegalAid, Training, Repatriation for trafficked girls sold for forced prosti
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Hi
I would also be interested in hearing about repatriation and marriage of the girls and young women you rescue but let me ask something else first. How do you help these girls reintegrate into their communities? Would it be thinkable for those of them who are older to not be taken back to their villages if they did not want to go but to learn a trade or to create opportunities for them on the NGos farms that you mentioned?
I would be interested in what you and your group have explored as alternatives to repatriation.
All the best from Berlin
Heather Cameron
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Heather Cameron
Professor
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Heather Cameron,
There are a few girls who do not want to go back to their villages because of various reasons like they do not have any family or that they do not trust their parents or family. We have regular rehabilitation activities which includes training for all the girls in income generating skills like tailoring, embroidery, crafts, beautician, yoga, karate, drawing, farming etc. We either encourage such girls to take up a job in Mumbai or start small trading operation like STD booth etc. Whatever such girls not willing to return home and are trained in office work are absorbed in our organization as staff members. As a matter of fact, illiterate but talented girls are very good counselors. Newly rescued girls readily accept their counseling as they are considered birds of the same flock.
Triveni
Triveni:
What a great program, and it appears to be helping a great number of girls. I agree with Ms. Cardinal--the repatriation segment interested me and I noticed the arranged marriage section. Can you elaborate on how the boys and families are selected for this program and matched with the girls? Additionally, do you continue to check in with the girls to make sure that they are not re-victimized, and for how long?
The protective homes are a wonderful asset and I am curious how long the girls spend in those homes before either being repatriated or married. Can you speak to that timeline?
It definitely sounds like a wonderful program--thanks!
Katie
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Portland State University MBA
Dear Kate,
The traditional system in India, specially in villages, is arranged marriages. Love marriages are very few indeed. Even mine was a marriage arranged by my parents. Such arranged marriages are found to be successful in more than 95% of the cases.
There are many qualified or employed boys particularly in the state of Gujarat, who are bold enough to marry outside their caste. They are willing to marry good, well behaved girl. We are an NGO having many girls of marriageable age. In India, happy marriage is the ultimate solution to achieving a happy life specially when the girl is not literate and does not have a happy family to fall back on. We have quite a few applications pending from a number of boys willing to consider our girl for marriage.
Our President, Mrs. Triveni visits the boy’s home to verify their family’s social and financial status and informs the parents about the past history of our girls. The boy and his family are invited to Mumbai to meet the girl selected to suit their lifestyle.
Once they agree for the marriage, Rescue Foundation arranges the wedding bearing all costs.
So far we have thus been able to arrange 11 weddings in groups of four couples at a time.
Our girls have proved to be excellent wives as they never got love from their family in earlier life and naturally they get deep love from their husband and family. We are in regular telephonic and personal contact with them
Dear Triveni-
Thanks for the great entry- it looks like both from what you have written here and your web-site that Rescue Foundation is doing a lot of great work. There were two areas of interest I was wondering if you could expand on. The first is the organization's "repatriation" efforts. I wonder if you could describe more fully what that entails. You mention in your entry and website that a) the girls are often hard to control during their trip home and b) that the ultimate repatriation is marriage, and that you have actually helped to arrange these marriages. Could you elaborate a bit on the thinking behind this step and how repatriation is used to re- empower survivors of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Th second component of your program I was particularly interested in was the "mock trial preparation" for survivors. This sounds particularly innovative and I was hoping you could expand on this a bit more.
Thanks!
Laura Cardinal
Public Health and Human Trafficking Specialist
Dear Laura Cardinal
Every girl would like to ultimately either go home or get married. Moreover Repatriation is essential as we have to have room to rescue & rehabilitate more and more girls from the inhuman torture in the brothels.
a) It is human and natural that when the girls are being sent home after a long, bad period, they are extremely excited. Most of them are young and adolescents. So in their excitement they sometimes even misbehave. Our staff as escorts understand their feelings and delicately handle the situation.
b) I have explained how the marriage takes place in my reply to Kate above.
Mock Trials are arranged to train the girls regarding the procedures in the court of law and to train them to be effective witnesses during the hearings. The judgment in any case is favorable only if the witness is convincing