News Update - Oct 2017

Message from the Guria Team

So far this year Guria has rescued 267 people, including 167 children, from slavery, both in the form
of sex trafficking and bonded labour. We have registered 143 new cases against human traffickers
involved in trafficking children for sexual exploitation, bringing the number of legal cases we are
fighting to 2,837.

We have been following up on and tackling new challenges relating to the major rescue operation
we carried out last year, where in a national record, 135 victims were rescued, 48 brothel keepers/
traffickers were arrested and 61 brothels were seized worth around US$182 million.

We would like to say a huge thank-you to all those who support Guria and the fight against human
trafficking, and hope you enjoy this news update.

Children at the NFE centre

The safe and enriching environment that Guria provides has allowed people to move past their
misfortunate backgrounds and assimilate into the rest of the world. (Asha for Education)
 Guria director, Ajeet Singh, and staff and volunteers playing with
children during Holi celebrations at the NFE centre

Non formal education

Over 300 children attend Gurias Non-Formal Education (NFE) centres, of which there are two based in Varanasi,
within the red light area and on the river Ganges, one based in in rural Mau, Azamgarh, and one in neighbouring
Madhya Pradesh state. This year the NFE centres have continued to provide vulnerable children with access to an
education, helping them access mainstream schools, and providing them with a safe space in which to play and
learn. Creative and therapeutic activities such as painting, model making, dancing and meditation have continued to
be a focus at the NFE centres providing children with a much needed outlet and holistic support.

So far this year 30 visitors have visited the largest NFE centre in Shivdaspur, the red light area of Varanasi, from
countries including United States, Japan, France and Australia. Over the summer students from Sam M. Walton
College of Business, University of Arkansas, visited the Shivdaspur centre.
A number of events have been held at the Shivdaspur centre including:

Holi, the Festival of Colours - Children at the centre celebrated the coming of Spring with art, music and dance;
they decorated the Shivdaspur centre and enjoyed festivities including of course the tradition of throwing brightly
coloured powders at each other.

Freedom Now Global Art Exchange and Exhibition - The 2017 Freedom Now Global Art Exchange and Exhibition
was a great success. This year, we had 41 schools participate from five different countries: South Africa, United
States, Senegal, Guatemala, and India. The kids connected through Skype with fellow classmates who submitted art
from The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts in Corona, California. We have so far had 85 schools from
18 different countries take part in Gurias Freedom Now art campaign. Thank you to all those involved, and we look
forward to next years.
Gujarat Performance

The Atul Vidyalaya School in Gujarat invited

some children from the Shivdaspur NFE
centre to perform as special guests. The
children were able to showcase their talent
in dancing and singing, and through this
medium were given the chance to overcome
social stigma and participate in the main-
stream world.

Children from the red light area perform

at Atul Vidyalaya

Rescue Operations
Guria has undertaken a number of rescue operations this year, managing to rescue 267 people from slavery
including bonded labour and sexual exploitation.

Rescue of bonded labourers

Guria rescued 26 bonded labourers, who had been forced to work in a brick kiln, in the district of Auraiya in Uttar
Pradesh. Later Guria conducted another rescue operation to recover 52 bonded labourers in a brick kiln, from the
district of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh and another 38 bonded labourers from a brick kiln in the district of Basti, Uttar
Pradesh, and finally 17 more bonded labourers from a brick kiln in the district of Gazipur, Uttar Pradesh. The victims
were all trafficked from Chhattisgarh state.

Guria conducted several further operations in coordination with Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) in districts
of Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Balrampur, Allahabad and Bhadohi. This led to the successful rescue of 134 child
labourers.

Since rescuing the bonded labourers Guria has been working on rehabilitation of the victims. This process begins
with home verification, whereby Guria identifies the home and family members of the labourers prior to their being
trafficked. Following legal proceedings, Guria then in some cases may ensure that custody of the rescued victims
is handed back to their families. Where necessary Guria provides further assistance in terms of livelihood support
or witness protection, should the victim be at risk of re-trafficking. Guria will continue to check in on the rescued
bonded labourers to monitor their integration back into their communities and prevent any re-trafficking.

Guria rescued 17 bonded labourers, from

Chhattisgarh state. They are holding their rescue
certificate received from the government (left &
above)
Amitas story
Amita was only 11 years old when she was kidnapped by some men close to her home in Mau district, Uttar
Pradesh. She was taken to a house where she was forcibly confined and gang raped for several days. Each time
her rapists used their mobile phones to record the horrific ordeal, likely with the intention to distribute these as
pornographic movies.

Amitas captors then sold Amita to a notorious human trafficker in Shivdaspur, the red light area of Varanasi.
Once confined to a brothel here, her nightmare deepened as she was beaten, tortured and gang raped for
several months, a process used by human traffickers to terrorise girls into submission. Finally Amita was forced
into prostitution, and by age 13, still trapped in the brothel, she gave birth to a child.

Meanwhile Guria became aware of Amitas case and immediately took action. Guria were able to firstly recuse
her and then later re-unite her with her family in Mau. Following this Amitas family tried, to no avail, to get a
report filed at the police station, but with the help of Guria, after a long battle, a first information report was
lodged with the police against Amitas human trafficker.

At the age of 16 Amita got married and went to live with her husband. At this point her trauma began once again
as the same human trafficker traced her whereabouts, bribed her parents-in-law and beat her. When Amitas
mother found out she pleaded with police to rescue her daughter, but they refused to take action. Once again
Guria was informed and rescued Amita from the house of her parents-in-law.

Guria relentlessly pursued the legal case against Amitas human trafficker, and were finally successful with the
trafficker being arrested and jailed.

Amita and her family continue to receive support from Guria as they are still vulnerable and recovering.

Childern at the NFE centre in Shivdaspur engage

in a range of therapeutic activities, including art,
music, model making, gardening and play, as
well as having access to further support such as
counselling.
Guria hosted a meeting with rescued survivors of sex
trafficking to discuss counselling, witness protetcion,
livelihood support etc. (above). Children at the NFE
centre skyped the Young Americans College of the
Performing Arts in California during the Freedom
Now art campiagn

Legal work
So far this year Guria has lodged 143 new legal cases against human traffickers in cases of trafficking children for
sexual exploitation. Currently Guria is fighting 2,837 legal cases.

This year Guria has filed one new Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the issue of rescue of minor trafficked girls forced
into prostitution within brothels in the state of Uttar Pradesh. This PIL draws upon learning and knowledge gained
from Gurias major rescue operation of children trapped in brothels in Allahabad last year.

Policy and Advocacy

Guria partners with UNICEF and the Home Department - Guria, in partnership with the United Nations Interna-
tional Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the Home Department of the state of Uttar Pradesh, launched a
project for developing five model Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) that cover 16 districts. This effort to activate
police units has been taken by the government since the AHTUs of the police department have failed to implement
the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines to curb human trafficking in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Guria will be responsible for training and sensitising the Anti Human Trafficking Units, in order to improve their han-
dling and response to cases of human trafficking; Guria has begun delivering training to the AHTUs in Gorakhpur.

Police Training - Guria was invited by the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD)
to train police officers from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. Guria has
been the resource person for this apex national training institute over the last 10 years.
 61 Brothels Seized in a National Record Update
Last year Guria carried out a major rescue operation in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. After months of planning
and covert operations including gathering footage of children within the brothels using spy cameras, Guria was
able to rescue 135 victims and 48 brothel keepers/traffickers were arrested. In addition, in a national record, 61
brothels were seized worth around US$182 million.

Since this rescue operation and brothel seizure Guria have been tackling various challenges put forward by the
traffickers and following up on the legal cases and support of the victims.

Guria has been successful in ensuring that the bail applications of the traffickers involved have been rejected.
This is important as legal cases are typically open for long time periods of time, so if perpetrators are able to
get bail they can continue exploiting children and intimidating witnesses. Guria has also intervened in a petition
filed by a trafficker through the High Court demanding that the brothels be re-opened, and managed to get
this request rejected by the Honorable Supreme Court. Finally Guria, through the Honorable Supreme Court,
managed to overturn the ruling of the Allahabad Session Court which ordered the release of the rescued girls.
Releasing the rescued girls would have put them at high risk of being re-trafficked and exploited once again.
Instead Guria has insisted that the girls are transferred to a safe place.

Despite all the progress made, another major set-back arose when 43 of the victims were re-trafficked by
the warden of the Government Protection Home in Agra. After exposing this shocking incident, Guria made a
complaint and for the first time ever in Uttar Pradesh, got the warden arrested. Through Gurias relentless efforts
the warden has been charged with human trafficking, selling of girls for prostitution and their sexual exploitation.
Further Guria got the wardens bail rejected at the high court, and is pursuing this case in the Honorable
Supreme Court.

Guria is currently searching for the re-trafficked victims, along with the police search operation.

Trafficking survivors are rescued during the Allahabad operation The police arrive outside the brothels in
Allahabad on request of Guria
Community & Empowerment
Guria has continued to hold regular meetings in villages in areas where women and children are vulnerable to human
trafficking. This approach aims to create mass awareness and empower community members to be vigilant and
proactive against human trafficking.

Meetings were also held with rescued survivors of sex trafficking along with their families to ensure their access to
further support including counselling, witness protection, legal support and help with alternative livelihoods.

Media & Events

Guria founder and director, Ajeet Singh, delivered a TED Talk where he
spoke of Guria and his experiences in fighting human trafficking. A video of
his talk will be available online soon.

Ajeet Singh has been invited to speak at the Thompson Reuters Trust
Women conference in London in November 2017 which has a focus on
slavery and womens rights. See: www.trustconference.com

Volunteering and awareness

Epic bike ride - Acala Boden completed a 340 mile cycle trip from Anglesey, Wales, to London raising a fantastic
1,083 for Guria. This epic trip took around six days and included plenty of mountains and rain! You can still support
Acalas efforts here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/acala-boden

Team Guria at Parallel London - A group of 8 volunteers, with their four children, raised 323 for Guria at Parallel
London in the Olympic Park! The whole families took part in 5km and 1km fun runs. Support their team effort here:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/forguriauk

Team Guria at Parallel London (left)

and Acala Boden (above)
Your support
The Guria team would like to say a huge thank you to all our supporters!

Guria are a grassroots frontline charity protecting vulnerable woman and children, in an extremely challenging
context, which leaves little time for fundraising. Not only funding, but international friendships and recognition are
important to Guria. Your support in being aware, spreading the word or raising funds is important.

If you have ideas for awareness raising or fundraising, please contact Sarah Wraight (Guria UK).

Children playing at the NFE centre in Shivdaspur, the red light area of Varanasi

Inspired. Humbled. Awed. Incredibly lucky. This is what I felt in the presence of Manju, the wife of Ajeet,
founder of Guria; the most dedicated, brilliant woman I have ever met. (Guria volunteer)

Guira India Website Guria UK Website Facebook page Blogspot

sarahwraight@guria-uk.org guria.freedomnow@gmail.com
Donations via JustGiving