By Sr. Annie Jesus
As the phone rang at 8.00 p.m, in the office of Jeevan Jharna Vikas Sansthan (JJVS), an NGO that works for social development in Jashpur, Chhattisgarh, on June 18, 2018, I knew that, yet another ‘missing’ daughter of the land had fallen in the clutches of human traffickers.

Preeti, a Grade 8 girl, was lured by her friend on false promises and reached Mumbai on the night of June 16. The eldest sister of Preeti’s friend had links with traffickers.

Preeti was sold to an agent. The ‘vigilant committee’ member briefed me over the phone, the details that Preeti’s father narrated in the meeting. The field staff of JJVS was directed to gather detailed information from the village. The rescue arrangements were made through phone calls, police departments, and district administration.

The eldest sister of Preeti’s friend was caught and the girl was brought to Khoupani village on June 19. The friend of Preeti and her family made a foul play to retain the girl in the village.

They even threatened the staff of JJVS. But, we managed to break their strategies and reintegrated Preeti in Mudatoli village and she is back at the school.

We, at JJVS, are convinced that human trafficking is a crime against humanity. Our action for justice reinstates the God-given human dignity to rescue victims and affirm that education is a fundamental right of every girl child.
We had dealt with eight such cases for the months of April to June 2018. The five rescued victims are back to schools. So far we have rescued 143 girls and 68 boys.

Factors like abject poverty, widespread substance abuse, the absence of basic facilities and lack of educational and employment opportunities are major contributors to the rise in child trafficking incidents in Jashpur district.

Hence, JJVS has adhered to its vision to create an Egalitarian Society by Organizing, Educating and Empowering indigenous communities to transform their own lives so that they could carve a niche for themselves in all programs and activities.

Rehabilitative measures play a vital role for the rescued rural women and girls to carve a niche for them. The programs and training equip them with certain skills and orientation to undertake income generating activities at the micro level which enhance their livelihood opportunities. Equally, this measure would also focus the dropouts of Grade 10 equipping them with skills on the one hand and as prevention from trafficking on the other. With this objective, JJVS finds strategies and avenues to impart needed skills for beneficiaries.

One such avenue was provided for a group of 20 rescued girls. They had a residential training at Vigyan Ashram, Pabal, a center of Indian Institute of Education in Pune, Maharashtra from January 25 to April 15, 2017. The training was free as it is an institute of the Government but the travel cost was met by JJVS. This intensive two and a half month long training enabled the beneficiaries with techniques of making bakery items along with inputs of marketing. The institute made an assessment of the learning in the end, and issued certificates. The girls returned with gladness and renewed assurance that they could undertake something better in their lives.
Upon returning, the girls showed self-confidence to start a bakery unit. With the guidance of JJVS, they were enrolled into a Self Help Group (SHG).

The Women and Child Welfare Department and bank officials visited the JJVS and interacted with girls. Accordingly, State Bank of India issued a loan under a tribal scheme to the SHG.

Due to the unavailability of a suitable premise, temporarily a part of JJVS was converted into a bakery unit along with a dormitory for accommodation. Later, the machines got fixed and all necessary infrastructures were created for the Bakery unit to function.

The BETI ZINDABAD BAKERY unit was inaugurated on August 15, 2017. The historical event was attended by people such as District Judge Rajini Shrivastav, District collector Dr. Pryianka Sukla, District Superintendent of the Police, Prasanth Tagore, District Educational officer, District community officer Deepak Soni, District Women and Child Welfare Department officer Ms. Ignatia Toppo, and all block level administration.

Presently 12 trained girls are staying and looking after the bakery unit while others got married and went away. The Unit is doing well and a loan is being repaid in installments.

Three victims who were rescued recently also joined and are getting training in the unit. The marketing is done through shops, village hats, melas (fetes) and exhibitions.

The Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, New Delhi selected BETI ZINDABAD BAKERY for its Women Empowerment Award on March 8, 2018.

The President of India, Ramnath Kovind, in his Presidential Palace gave the Award to Ms. Parvati who represented the bakery unit. This is yet another feather in the cap of JJVS.

JJVS constantly imparts capacity building, counseling and related training to the victims and rural women by shouldering upon huge financial burden. This is indeed an effort toward the sustainable livelihood of the trained victims.

You are welcome to partner with JJVS for lightening our burden.

(Sr. Annie Jesus, FMM is the Directress of Jeevan Jharna Vikas Sansthan, Kansabel, Chhattisgarh, India)