A fragile-looking young girl was standing at the roadside and crying. The tears were rolling down her face and her eyes turned red. When people approached and asked her why she is crying. She replied, “I am a domestic help in one of the family and my owner is very angry with me as one of his hen is missing and if I don’t search for it he would kill me.”

The people immediately informed the field animator of Caritas India supported the Anti-Human Trafficking programme about the situation of the girl. The Animator comforted her, provided refuge and gradually she started sharing her ordeal. “I hardly used to get 3-4 hours of sleep at night with no proper food and whatever was leftover food was given to me after the family finishes their meal.” After sharing a few of the unpleasant treatment, she asked the animator to help her reach back home. She said her house is in Hojai but scared to approach to the police.

Rasmila was only 12-year-old when her maternal aunt has given her to one of the family in Nahoroni Sarupathar without the knowledge of her parents.  She served the family for 2 years and one day escaped the house on the pretext of searching for the hen.

The Anti-Human Trafficking team has referred the girl to the Child Line. She was under ChildLine protection centre till 28th October 2020 night. The case hearing was scheduled for 29th October 2020 in the district court of Golaghat. The court with necessary actions had settled the case by imposing Rs.20,000/-(Twenty thousand) as a penalty to the accused family. A partial amount of Rs.5000/- had been given on the same day for commuting and the remaining amount was ordered by the court to give to the victim’s family through the court immediately within one week.

Rasmila was reintegrated with her mother. She hugged her mother tightly as the mother burst at the sight of her daughter after two years.

Sarupathar, Nahoroni is one of the Anti-Human Trafficking and unsafe Migration project operational area, supported by Caritas India. The programme has seen tremendous change in the mindset and attitude of the community in Sarupathar block within two years. Generally, the community are submissive to everything that is happening to them whether good or bad. Lack of knowledge on legal provisions and proper guidance, poverty combined with the sense of helplessness together made them feel irrelevant and allow the situation to continue and undergo a lot of drawbacks.

The Anti-Human Trafficking and unsafe Migration project intervention have created a positive impact within the community and various stakeholders.  Constant interactions and collaboration with Police Personnel, local authorities, district authorities, Panchayat members, and networking with likeminded NGOs, CBOs, pressure groups, AHTUs and CWC departments have given a boost in building the confidence of the community.

There is an augmentation in awareness on various issues and the project team have witnessed few reported cases on missing and other exploitative nature and began to raise their voice for their right. Several trafficked victims and their families like Rasmila & her mother were reintegrated after the community sensitization and proactiveness of the staff.