News : India

Setting the captive free – Karishma’s story

Setting the captive free – Karishma’s story – 20 May 2010

It’s estimated that 575,000 children are trapped in sex trafficking in India. Tearfund’s local partner Freedom Firm is battling to stamp our sex trafficking. While the laws in India against sex trafficking are strong they are rarely applied. Freedom Firm investigates brothels suspected of soliciting minor girls, works with the police to raid these brothels, prosecutes the brothel keepers and helps to restore the girls. The work is dangerous and often disheartening but they are seeing successes. Without the intervention of Tearfund’s local partner Freedom Firm, Karishma would still be in captivity.

A young girl of thirteen was discovered in a brothel by a Freedom Firm undercover investigator. Her name was Karishma and she was ‘for sale’ for 70 rupees (€1.20).

Freedom Firm reported it to the police and requested that they intervene. But when they raided the brothel Karishma had been moved. She was no-where to be found.

Freedom Firm investigators searched for her over the next five months with no success. Then a local informant gave a tip off that she had been taken to the Sadar Bazaar, a red-light district in the city of Kolhapur. However it’s a massive slum with thousands of people. It seemed she might never be found.

Then the miracle happened. After days of searching, equipped with only scant information and an old photograph of Karishma, an informant was found who recognized her from the photo. The investigators were led to a brothel on the edge of town. The building was raided and Karishma was found, traumatized but alive.

That was over four years ago.

The brothel keeper was arrested but after a long trial was unjustly acquitted despite the overwhelming evidence. It has been discouraging for the team but an appeal has been made. It is hoped that the brothel keeper may still be convicted but bringing justice requires perseverance.

Karishma now lives at a Freedom Firm aftercare home. The scars of her past are deep and recovery from her awful experience takes time. With six other rescued girls she is experiencing emotional healing through counselling and prayer. She is learning to look after herself and receiving a basic education and skills training to set up her own small craft business. Finally she is experiencing the goodness of life.

She is free at last.

Donate to our work with vulnerable women today.

An unwanted gift - Christmas Appeal

An unwanted gift - Christmas Appeal – 23 Nov 2009

Happy Christmas! There are two children who I’ve spent time with over the past year. One is my nephew Noah, who has just celebrated his second birthday this week. And the other is Peah –whom I met in Cambodia in February.

Noah couldn’t be more loved or wanted. My sister and brother-in-law have albums of photos of almost his every waking hour! My parents love showing him off to all their friends!

In contrast, Peah had a very different start to life. He was an unwanted gift. There are more than 100 million children around the world without a family, living in the harshest circumstances. But there is hope. Tearfund’s amazing church partners reach children like Peah every day, and place them in loving families.

Can we count on you for a Christmas gift of €32, €86 or €125? Donate here

Help us to support Little Conquerors in Cambodia and IMCAREs in India to continue their work next year. Tearfund’s church partners work tirelessly to address immediate needs, while also dealing with the underlying issues that cause children to be vulnerable, that means our work is sustainable and has a lasting impact.

Little Conquerors, Cambodia – €27,300 to fully fund this project in 2010

The Little Conquerors project helps children with disabilities to reach their God-given potential in all areas of their lives: physically, emotionally, spiritually, educationally and socially. This ensures these children get vital physiotherapy, specialised equipment and access to basic education. Read more about their work here

IMCARES, India – €29,500 to fully fund this project in 2010

IMCares works with local churches to care for vulnerable people, including children orphaned by AIDS, in the poorest slums of Mumbai. They provide food, clothing and education, and search for loving foster families to take in the orphaned children. IMCares also supports AIDS-affected families with counselling, home visits, nutritional support and other material help, and helps teach children in the slums about the reality of HIV and AIDS.Read more about their work here

Bollywood film director and Tearfund partner comes to Ireland

Bollywood film director and Tearfund partner comes to Ireland – 1 Jul 2009

Timothy Gaikwad is an acclaimed film-maker from Mumbai, India. He’s also the Director of Tearfund partner IMCares. He and his wife Sonali spent a week in Ireland sharing with Tearfund supporters across the country about their work with vulnerable children on the streets of Mumbai and the horrifying reality of sex trafficking.

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire exposed the world to the experiences of children in the slums of India. ‘The reality is more complex and the solutions must be sustainable. But we are seeing lives transformed as we work with the local church to support vulnerable women and children and address trafficking, poverty’ says acclaimed Indian film-maker and charity manager Timothy Gaikwad, who lives and works with the forgotten children of Mumbai, India.

  • 40,000 children are abducted every year in India
  • 25 % of approximately 2.3 million sex workers in India are minors
  • Almost 2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS in India

God raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. Psalm 113: 7 – 8

Rachel was abandoned by her mother when she was only 6 months old. Her mother was a sex-worker in Mumbai and when the police raided her brothel she ran for her life and left her child behind. IMCares staff found Rachel in a rubbish bin and took her in. She was very sick and was soon diagnosed with AIDS. This was the first time IMCares had encountered a person with AIDS and they were afraid and didn’t know how to help her. Fortunately IMCares was able to receive support from Tearfund and they learnt about how to work with children with AIDS. They were able to influence Indian government policy on providing free anti-retroviral medication for people living with HIV. Today IMCares has been recognised by the UNAIDS as a ‘best-practice’ organisation in the area of HIV support. Rachel is now a vibrant and healthy 20 year old and is graduating from school.

‘We are working with local churches and partners to bring about sustainable solutions.’ says Reuben Coulter, Chief Executive of Tearfund Ireland ‘The work of Timothy and IMCares in vital as address immediate needs but also deal with underlying causes of children’s vulnerability, strengthen local church & community responses and advocate for change in government policies.’

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