Chap 3-5 local organization investigator

Prajwala
www.prajwala.com

An organization from India which means eternal flame.

Its beginnings:
"one of the oldest red light areas of Hyderabad city was evacuated in the year 1996. Thousands of women in prostitution were suddenly uprooted and displaced, this forced them to look at their lives very closely and introspect about the insecure status of their children. The plea of the mothers for a dignified future for their children made Bro Jose Vetticatil and Dr Sunitha Krishnan two visionaries to come together and initiate an intervention (Prajwala) for second generation prevention."

Although the task to help seemed daunting they persisted in starting with a small education program in the form of a transition center with the participation of women in prostitution. As the program grew so did the need to intervene in other areas. Now Prajwala has taken on the battle at 5 fronts: prevention, rescue, rehabilitaion, re-integration, and advocacy.

Prevention: "in the anti-trafficking sector preventive interventions largely focus on second generation and the community at large. Prajwala has initiated programs to target both groups."

Rescue: A two fold mission of rescue in Prajwala's involvement with anti human trafficking efforts of the police and crisis counseling. "Prajwala as the nodal agency in the AHTU collaborates with the state police on all aspects of rescue and post rescue operations." Crisis counseling emerged as a way to prevent the trafficking at the entry and exit points of railway and bus stations. Crisis counseling teams were formed.

The teams deal in the following 3 areas:
1. Vigilance at entry and exit points sush as bus stations and railway stations and rescue vulnerable women and children (run away girl, destitute etc) who could be trafficked.
2.Provide rehabilitation options to older woemen in prostitution as a means of preventing htem from becoming procurers or sex trafficers.
3. Rescue on information young girls or adults forced into prostitution.

Rehabilitation: Victims of sex trafficking go through much psychologically as well as physically. "Rehabilitation is essentially a blend of psychological, economic and civi identity." Prajwala advocates for all aspects of rehabilitation. A sheltered environment includes life-skills, literarcy/numeracy, social skills, grooming, personality development, and intensive trauma care. Two homes are run to facilitate holistic psychological rehabilitation.

Re-integration: "The process of reintegration is a long and tedious one filled with a lot of difficulties. Sometimes in spite of all the efforts there have been instances of re-trafficking. Strategies for reintegration is a ever evolving one."

Prajwala has explored 3 forms of reintegration:
1. Family reunion- If an interest is expressed to be reunited then Prajwala will investigate the possibilities
2.Independent living- If not interested in reunification than girls are empowered to live independently.
3.Marriage- A "transparent" investigation into a potential spouse helps secure a girls desire to be married.

Advocacy: Prajwala gets involved with lobbing efforts to make the "long term systemic change" that needs to happen to help in the change necessary.

They list plenty of opportunities to help. This organization has done a great job in helping to break the culture of silence and assisted the empowerment of women so that they may be free.