Apne Aap: Women Worldwide— AGrassroots Movement to End Sex Trafficking Red Light Despatch Volume 4, Issue 12 Decemeber 2011 My Dreams My Eyes Filled with Joy to See My I Love Art, Love to Study Daughter’s Future and Will Become a Doctor By Bhagwanti Devi vited me along with other guardi- Someday ans to celebrate the birth anniver- Munshigunj, Kolkata: My name sary of „Maa Sarada‟ on 25th De- By Damini is Bhagwanti Devi. I was brought cember 2011 at the mission ash- to this Munshigunj when I was ram. Along with other parents, I Dharampura, Delhi: I am 14 only 14 years of age. I remained a reached Uttarpara ashram at about years old and I love to study. I chukri (young girl in prostitution) 2 p.m. on the day. really enjoy going to school for a long time. Then I became Mataji was very kind to us. We all and am always top of my class adhiya. Now I am working as a became very emotional when we because I‟m so good with maid servant and am also a mem- saw our daughters beaming with studies. My teachers are very ber of a Self Empowerment Group joy and heard about what they do fond of me as are my friends (SEG). every day and what they have in school. Not only do I do my I have one child named Reshma learnt. Along with the other moth- own work very well but I also Khatoon. I admitted her to the ers, I participated in the activities. help my friends and my broth- night crèche run by Apne Aap We saw that the temple of Maa ers and my sisters with their Women Worldwide. Later on, she Sarada was decorated with differ- school work. I want to be a got admitted to Ramakrishna ent kinds of flowers along with doctor when I grow up. Vivekananda Mission Ashram for other decorative pieces. We saw Apart from being good at continuing her education with con- the puja of Maa Sarada that was studies, I like many more tinued support of Apne Aap. Now offered by one of the priests of the things about school. We play my daughter is doing very well re- temple. We all participated in the games and it‟s great to play garding her studies. puja and afterwards the priest of- with my friends. I like singing Mataji, the Principal of Rama- fered us prasad. and dancing also. But most of krishna Vivekananda Mission in- (Continued on page 7) all I love drawing and paint- ing. I do a lot of drawing at After Leaving Prostitution, I did not Earn a Lot but I Had school and even manage to do some at home. It is nice to go my Body to Myself to the Apne Aap centre in By Jamila Khatoon to search for a place where I Dharampura where I can do could stay in safety with my hus- lots of drawing with other Forbengunj, Bihar: I have spent most of my life fighting against band. After a lot of effort I found a girls at the centre. place to stay. I had to invest my One day a new lady came to many troubles and problems, the memory of which still makes me deposit in renting the house and teach us drawing. Every Sat- had to start a small business of my urday Irene didi would come shiver in terror. I have gone through so many difficulties that own, from which I could earn a to the centre and teach us. It small but respectful income. My now I feel strong facing any other was really interesting. Since I neighbours from the Red Light like drawing so much I was problems in life. I was in prostitu- tion but then married a man who Area used to warn me, that if my one of the first people to go to husband went away and left me the class. It was a new experi- was very nice man and a driver. My decision of quitting prostitu- alone I would suffer. Somehow ence as this was drawing and these taunts made me much tion led to a lot of problems. painting like I had never done stronger and I promised myself before. (Continued on page 7) I had to leave my accommodation that I would never go back into the where I had been staying and had profession. (Continued on page 6) 2 Apne Aap is Trying its Best to End Prostitution By Claire After one focus group interview I my last answer there were a few conducted an individual interview terrible moments of near silence. Forbesganj, Bihar: It felt like with a particularly curious partici- She looked up and said very walking through soup. The air in pant. After she had answered my sternly that she would never leave Forbesganj at the height of mon- questions, I told her she could ask this place. I could leave, she told soon season was thick with heat, me anything she wanted. The me. I would leave, I didn‟t have to dust and humidity. I was in Bihar young woman quickly realized stay in Forbesganj; I was free. But to interview women and girls who that we were the same age. She she would stay there for the rest of had been trafficked on behalf of started drilling me with questions: her life. Apne Aap Women Worldwide. The organization‟s goal is to end This was the most humbling mo- the trafficking and prostitution of ment I have ever experienced. Column women in India by empowering This young woman understood the victims to “self help” with Volunteer Journal exactly how unfair the circum- tools such as support groups that stances were. She saw how artifi- eventually lead to self-advocacy. How many children did I have? cial the differences were between In order to conduct interviews Where was my husband? How did our two situations. I can only with these women I had to gain a I get here? Why had I come here? hope that she understood in my threshold of trust with them. I had With the help of the translator I ineloquent response to her obser- to adapt my comportments, my tried my best to answer every vation that a part of me remains in dress, my actions as well as my question as fully as I could. I had Forbesganj. How could anyone language in order to reach out to no husband. I had no children. My ever truly leave behind such a pro- these women and help them have university had paid for my trip. I found injustice? the agency to speak out against the was there because I wanted to help injustices done to them. the women in Forbesganj. After I Never Knew There Were So Many Legal Facilities for Me By Durga Prasad Khidderpore, Kolkata: My name is Durga Prasad and I am a resident of Nitya Ghosh Street, Kidderpore, Kolkata. I have been coming to the Apne Aap centre for study and skills training for the past seven years. I read in class IX now. I found out that on 20th December 2011 a training session on the rights of children was being organized in our Munshigunj community centre. I was very interested. I, along with a couple of friends, decided that we would participate in the session. I participated in that session along with my friends Puja, Seema, Sita and Dolly. In that session we learnt many things about the rights of children as protected by Juvenile Justice Act from Sarfaraz Sir. He told us that according to the JJ Act, children are divided into two categories - Children In Need Of Care and Protection (CNCP) and Juvenile in Conflict with Law (JCL). He also explained that a child can be in JCL or CNCP unless and until the child attains majority i.e. becomes 18 years of age. According to Sir, CNCP are those children who have no one to look after them properly, do not have any proper shelter and they do not get any opportunity of education. They are also children who are being or likely to be grossly abused, tortured or exploited for the purpose of sexual abuse or illegal acts. He also told us about children under CNCP who have parents or guardians who are unfit or incapacitated to take care of the child. I also learnt that a child who is victim of any armed conflict or natural calamity is also under CNCP. It is the duty of the government to look after them and provide appropriate support for their up- bringing. Children under 18 years of age who have committed any offence like theft, murder etc. will also come under this Act. In this case, the child will be sentenced to community service or will be sent to a spe- cial home. They allow the juvenile to go home after advice or admonition following appropriate inquiry and counselling to the parents or guardians. (Continued on page 3) 3 Acceptance Speech on Being Awarded the Karmaveer Puraskaar By Ruchira Gupta the pimps, the clients, the cus- your family wants to prostitute New York: I would like to thank tomers, the brothel managers, the you because otherwise your iCONGO for giving me the Kar- transporters, the recruiters who brother will not be able to go to maveer Puraskaar not only be- are constantly trying to prey school, otherwise your father cause I am honoured by getting upon these girls who are poor, will not get a meal.