Prajwala by Sunitha Krishnan

The safety of girls & women  in our country is a growing concern.So many girls  & women go missing year after year.Their missing complaints if filed ,are simply closed shut.Many families are better off without the girls & women  as they are themselves poor .Brother,fathers,uncles,aunts,granddads,-all are involved in selling off girls & women.Many times,it is they who violate the girl and or the women & then sell them in the flesh trade.They are exploited sexually & tortured horrendously which leaves scars for life.Girls as young as three to four years old are being violated physically as also mentally .Today it is some female,& tomorrow it could be any one of us.That is why ,an urgent need, to become aware & then prevent such abuse of the most horrific kind.

People in high places are selling off girls & women for prostitution . This is illegal trafficking of humans.If & when  some fortunate ones are rescued,their family members refuse to take them back fearing wrath of the community,society etc.So ,they are left to fend for themselves.They  are then sucked into the same cesspool from which they were rescued.

Prajwala means eternal flame.Prajwala is housed in Hyderabad. Prajwala manages 17 schools in Hyderabad for  5000 children .Prajwala has rescued 2500 survivors.Nearly 1500 survivors were personally set free by Sunitha Krishnan herself.Prajwala coordinates rescue work among governments,NGOs & corporations. Her efforts in this regard has led to partnership between NGOs & companies like Amul,Taj Group of Hotels & Heritage hospitals.The rehabilitated women have found jobs in the aforesaid companies.Prajwala has forged ties with UN & other NGOs in setting up printing & furniture shops wherein nearly 300 survivors have found a fresh lease of life !

In this regard,Prajwala is doing exemplary work. Prajwala an NGO,  is co founded by Dr.Sunitha Krishnan. She is the face of Prajwala. Prajwala rescues girls & women who are sold off in the flesh trade. Prajwala gives them shelter & rehabilitates them..Prajwala trains rescued  girls & women by training them in crafts like carpentry housekeeping, masonry,printing & welding. Psychological care is also provided to the survivors to overcome the trauma of sexual abuse & torture.

Image courtesy :Wikipedia

Dr Sunitha Krishnan

Sunitha Krishnan is herself ,a survivor of gang rape which happened when she was barely 15 years old.She is well educated with a B.Sc.in Environmental Science,MSW in Psychiatric Social Work & Ph. D in Social Work.She is more than amply qualified for her pioneering work in this regard. Sunitha Krishnan has made the world take note of the scourge of flesh trade.She has been awarded many international & national awards for her pioneering work in this regard.She has been awarded the Perdita Huston International  Award for human rights-2007,Real Heroes award-2008,Vanitha Woman of the year-2009,Indiavision Person the year-2011,Global Leadership Award-2011,IRDS Safdar Hashmi Award 2012 for Human Rights,Stree Shakti Puraskar,Government of India ,etc.The UNODC -Real Heroes award for combating human trafficking has been conferred on Sunitha Krishnan in 2008.

Prajwala is doing a job, which we as a society and community, would just like to wish away.Hence, funds are extremely difficult to come by for such work though it is outstanding.Hence,I am doing my bit by writing about the awesome work that Sunitha Krishnan is doing by fighting against flesh trade which has brought & continues to bring untold misery to millions of women & children ,the world over .As someone rightly said ,"Progress is not wifi on every street .....progress is hen no thirteen year old will be sold on the streets."

Prajwala

I was introduced to Prajwala by a friend through the net. As I read &  understood ,what Sunitha Krishnan has done & continues to do ,I was filled with admiration & respect for  her.


She herself was a victim of gang rape & she rose from the ashes to rescue others from trafficking.The tasks she has on hand are just too enormous.Her orgainisation has been instrumental in rescuing & rehabilitation of hundreds & thousands of women &children.

She has a blog titled "Sunitha Krishnan :The Anti Trafficking Crusader " where she recounts her experiences of rescue.Actually ,her blog is not an easy read.It is very difficult sorry impossible to read about small girls ( as young as four year old ) being raped by dads, uncles,brothers,cousins & neighbours.A seven year old  was violently raped .Her blog posts can just shame us all out of our peaceful existence.The least we can do is spread awareness about the scrouge of trafficking.



We are a very proud nation, always boasting of our glorious past & the economic gaint we have become now.We seem to brush under the carpet ,the sins committed by us.Trafficking is increasing at an alarming rate & no one is spared.Girls are brought in from Nepal & sold to brothels all over our nation.The alarming part is that people who are involved in all this are the ones who are trusted by victims.

Fathers,brothers,uncles,grandfathers,cousins,neighbours,acquitances,friends -all are involved in this dirty business.In some cases,they are the ones who violate the victims first & then invite others to do so for a price ! Really how sadist can anyone get ? Many atimes ,the mother or female relatives who raises a voice are silenced by money or threats or rape or by death.Hence,the victims are utterly helpless.


The condition of the victims is worse than that of slaves ! The victims are subjected to the worst form of sexual abuse often accompanied by violence.It leaves the victims emotionally as also physically brutalised.The victims have to keep catering to many clients & end up with HIV/AIDS.Then, they are just discarded as they are now useless & cannot bring in any returns for their owners.


Sunitha's orgainisation 'Prajwala " has been rehabilitating the victims after rescuing them. Shelters have been built & a factory has been opened where skills like carpentary ,welding ,etc are taught to the girls.Prajwala also tries to unite the victims with their families.Sometimes ,the victims are not accepted back by the families owing to the backwardness of our views on women.At such times,Prajwala takes full responsibilty of such victims.Some women & girls are also married off by Prajwala in its endeveour to integrate the victims back into society.Prajwala also takes care of the last rites of the victims who pass away.In all these tasks,Prajwala faces stiff opposition from our society .


Prajwala works with police & other law enforcement agencies in this job of fighting commercial sexual expolitation.Prajwala never seeks publicity for the rescue of the girls.Prajwala lets its  work speaks for itself.


Prajwala & Sunitha have won many awards for their exemplery work.They are now sought after ,the world over for rescue & rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.Even State governments are listening to Prajwala &  Sunitha in prevention of trafficking.All this, will surely help in minimising this crime .

Sunitha has said time & again that the silence of the society towards human trafficking has to change.Let us become aware & appreciate Prajwala.

One can become a follower by joining Sunitha Krishnan's blog @http://sunithakrishnan.blogspot.com/.One can also 'Like" Prajwala on facebook to get updates on Prjawala.


Please spread the word around on the net- on social networks,through emails,through twitter ,etc.This will be our contribution to this noble cause.

Charity for free !

Being philanthropic is a duty for all of us .We must do our bit as we have a decent life- for not having to struggle as the have nots do on a daily nah, an hourly basis.Nowadays,there are many options to choose from -we can buy things from NGOs,serve at NGOs, forward a link etc.


I try to buy some clothes at khadi stores of KVIC ( Khadi & Village Industries Commission) regularly.Khadi is a natural fibre & so very comfortable for summer wear .Moreover,it is reasonably priced.People who prefer other clothes can still buy khadi -they can opt for kahdi hand towels & bath towels which are very absorbent & easy to dry.One can also buy stuff like honey,incense sticks ( agarbattis,dhoop sticks ) at the khadi bhandars to  help the industries who manufacture these items.So instead of buying such items elsewhere,it is advisable to buy such things at the khadi bhavan.I  prefer to buy white & black churidaars &  salwars of  khadi as I am perennially in need of these.The idea of buying khadi clothes is that I am responsible for the employment of at least a person for some days.

Similarly,one can adopt any handloom or handicraft  -by doing so ,you get value for your money & the transaction also generates employment for artisans who make a living by making the said things ! This also is philanthropy but costs the buyer not even a penny.This is so, as the artisan is paid for by buying his crafted items.Moreover such buys keep many of such crafts alive -many a crafts have vanished as there is no one to buy them.I recall the Mahatma's letters to Rajkumari Amrut Kaur, India's health minister in Nehru's cabinet wherein, he urges her to wear khadi silk sarees so that others will emulate her & khadi workers will remain employed .Khadi silk is very lightweight & lovely.It can be easily worn by all especially ,the senior citzens as they feel that other silks are too heavy for wearing in old age.

During rakshabndhan,I go to a local NGO which employs & trains physically challenged persons in making bags,uniforms,jewelery cases,rakhis,etal.I buy rakhis from this NGO .As I have to buy rakhis - I might as well buy from an NGO- I am killing two birds with one stone.I am being philanthropic as also getting my need fulfilled.It does feel great !

I used to buy greeting cards from an NGO in a moffusil where I had been posted.It was working with tribal children.Now,in this age of the net,I have another option .I can  be green   & opt for e -cards.I have come across a site -The Hunger Site.I can send an e-card from this & associated sites related to breast cancer,animal rescue,child literacy,child health ,rainforests,et al.The e card sent by me is free & generates funds for the various causes.I am doing charity for free ! I fully agree with the saying " The best things in life are free ."My emates,I am sure,  are thrilled, to get e greeting cards from me wishing them on birthdays & other occasions.I am not earning now & such sites help me in doing my bit for others.

I would like to mention one more site-FreeRice.com.One can go to the site & play a game. There are various subjects-English (vocabulary &  Grammar),Art,Geography( Countries & Capitals),Chemistry ,Maths ( Algebra & Multiplication table ) & Language learning ( Spanish,Italian,French & ,German).The game involves choosing the correct option from multiple answers.Each correct answer donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme to end hunger worldwide.Moreover,one can play as along as one likes.There is no signing up needed.You can just go &  start playing therby assisting in feeding the hungry millions! So this is international charity sitting at home ! Moreover,you are testing yourself on the various subjects & improving them as you play the game.Don't you agree that this is too good to be true ? But believe me,it is indeed true.

Recently,I took part in voting for NGOs on a social networking site .The NGO getting the maximum votes was going to win millions as funds.It hardly involved any efforts from me & hence a lazy person like me participated.

You can also email links of such sites & any  cause worthy of your attention to your emates to spread the word around.Here,I would like to state that Sunitha Krishnan is doing exemplary work to end human trafficking & sex trade.The link to her NGO prajwala is  http://www.prajwalaindia.com/home.html


There are NGOs which will pick up your used bicycles  & other stuff & donate them to others who are in urgent need & can't afford to buy.So all this is pro-green .After all ,the used things are being recycled.The west will go green with envy as in our nation we recycle all things- food,clothes,utensils,plastic,glass etal.Let all join in  the recycling & make  the movement stronger.

You will all agree that there are numerous choices for serving others in today's age .This will give us joy which will last & last.So please make a beginning.It is never too late to start a task as magnanimous as this one !