No girl dreams of a future as a slave laborer, forced to work in organized begging or the sex trade. But this is the horrific reality for millions of young girls caught in the poverty cycle throughout India.
As Our Own is actively rescuing them out of treacherous situations and welcoming them into our care where they are loved and nurtured as our own children.
Rescued from Future of Slavery
Many girls are enslaved in the sex trade by default: They are born into it. Their mothers are captives in the sex trade. And when enslaved women give birth, their children inevitably become second-generation slaves—like mother, like daughter.
But we can stop this slavery cycle from continuing. Moms dream of protecting their children from this generational fate, and As Our Own offers a way for these brave women to give their children the life they themselves are denied.
> Read how Sajala’s mom found hope for her daughter.
Sex Slave Age Profile
Why is it important to rescue girls, as young as 3 or 4 years old, who have been born into the district? We must intervene before they are exploited. The demand for very young girls has become commonplace due to deception and false superstitions, which place a high value on their innocence.
A Presence in the District
Life in the red-light districts of India is not typical. It’s a dangerous place to be—let alone work or live. Simply entering and exiting the area is a difficult and often risky endeavor.
That’s why As Our Own is grateful to have a presence in the heart of this darkness. We have an open door, connecting us to the mothers enslaved there. Our staff is actively rescuing the children before they are exploited or trafficked themselves.
Rescued from Poverty and Exploitation
Life in India is grueling for the poor, whether in the heavily populated city slums or the laboring remote, rural villages. Many, many people struggle every day—of every week, of every month, year after year after year—to gather food for even one meal.
Extreme poverty is especially cruel to girls, predisposing them to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This situation is ripe for trafficking.
As Our Own is working in the communities to identify and act on behalf of these children. As we rescue each child from these situations, the patterns of poverty and exploitation are upset, ushering in potential for hope and a new way of life for a girl in India.
Early Rescue Can Break the Cycle
The hopelessness of extreme poverty pressures some parents to abandon, abuse, and neglect their children . . . and forces children into bonded labor, including organized begging . . . and creates an environment ripe for child enslavement and exploitation.
Such cycles run generations deep, but rescuing just one child births a new life pattern for generations to come. Through high-caliber education through college, we break the cycle so that future generations are empowered.
SOURCE LIST
- http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/india.htm
- http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_using-minors-in-prostitution-is-a-billion-dollar-industry-inthe-city_1083952
- http://www.hrsolidarity.net/mainfile.php/2007vol17no03/2549/
