One of the six daughters born in a rural family of Jharkhand, Sangeeta (name changed) was trafficked from her village by a boy and forced to do household chores in Delhi for six months without being paid a single rupee.
On Friday night, this young girl got a chance to share her story with the entire world through an audio visual mode at the programme ‘Ending Human Trafficking: One Story at a Time’, a part of the 8th Anti-Trafficking-in-Persons (TIP) Conclave, hosted by the US Consulate General in Kolkata and the New Delhi based NGO Shakti Vahini.
As she gave the voice over to a one minute representational video made on her life, the viewers were moved by the pain she faced and the courage she showed to overcome it.
“My father always wanted a son and used to beat up me and my sisters all the time. When I met a boy who said that I can get a job in Delhi I could not refuse,” she said. She worked at a household for six months but when Sangeeta enquired about her salary, the employer said that she had already given Rs. 48,000 to the boy. “I managed to contact my mother who approached the police and I was rescued.” she said. Now Sangeeta is studying in class 11 and hopes to procure a government job some day to support her family.
Like Sangeeta, stories of other survivors of trafficking from across the country were showcased in the presentation comprising digital and live storytelling form at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
While the audio visual stories were put together by Amy Hill, a visual storyteller and strategic storytelling consultant at Story Centre, Califorinia, the live performance was directed by Raymond Caldwell, producing artistic director, Theatre Alliance, Washington DC.
Pratikesh Shankar, a student of National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi who was among the participants of the conclave said, “The performances were unlike any we have ever experienced. It gave me Goosebumps. The standing ovation at the end was well deserved.”
The four day programme which concluded on Saturday afternoon brought together over 130 youth leaders from the universities of USA, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, all dedicated to one goal, ending human trafficking.
US Consul General Patti Hoffman said, “Trafficking in persons remains a global issue, and the United States is committed to continuing to working together with international partners to end trafficking. It is not enough merely to denounce this horrific assault on human dignity; we must actively work to prevent and end this barbaric exploitation of innocent survivors. The US and India, as enduring global partners in the 21st century, are committed to working together to end human trafficking.”