How Your Support Changes Lives

16-year-old Reshma belonged to a shepherding community in a remote village in Karnataka, South India. When the family faced economic crisis, Reshma discontinued her studies to help her family at home. A trafficking criminal exploited the family’s vulnerable situation and promised Reshma work on a farm. When Reshma did not return home on the expected date and it was discovered that all phone connections to Reshma had been disconnected, her family travelled to the farm’s address to search for her. Reshma’s family found that the farm did not in fact exist and alerted the police.

Working alongside the police and using intelligence from the Network Against Trafficking-Karnataka, Odanadi were able to locate and rescue Reshma from a house used as an illegal brothel in Shimoga. During her medical care and counselling, it was learnt that Reshma had been threatened and sexually abused for 30 days. It was also later revealed that arrangements had been made to sell Reshma for Rs 50,000 to an individual. The gang member who trafficked Reshma and other vulnerable children was arrested and faces trial for human trafficking and child sexual abuse.

We are committed to supporting our Indian grassroots partner, Odanadi, in helping young survivors of human trafficking rebuild their lives and heal after their experienced trauma. We would like to thank Odanadi for their tireless commitment to fighting human trafficking and helping to bring trafficking criminals to justice. Find out more about our anti human trafficking projects and how you can support this work here.

*Please note: Reshma’s name has been changed and is not pictured to protect her identity.