For my first blog, I would like to share my initial reactions to and reflections on the organization that I have been matched with — Kranti, which is run by Trina Talukdar. Kranti is based in Mumbai and aims to support and rehabilitate girls and young women who have been sex trafficked.
1) What are the psychosocial factors of human trafficking in Mumbai? As a White American woman, I have little knowledge on this topic and I am eager to learn more, without using my own frame of reference to interpret another culture’s issues. Kranti seems to offer a culturally grounded intervention and it is my hope to align with it while also generating additional helpful interventions.
2) In one of her videos, Trina mentioned that Kranti works with the police in Mumbai to identify girls and young women who are victims of human trafficking. How does Kranti safely extract girls and young women from situations that may be dangerous and pose risk for the girls, their families, and for Kranti organization workers?
3) Does Kranti use other methods to identify girls and young women who need help? For example, is it possible for people in Mumbai to contact Kranti to provide a tip when they feel that a child is at risk of being trafficked?
4) Trina also stated that many children are sold to be laborers because the child is considered by their family to be a financial liability — either the family cannot afford a dowry, find the child work, or financially support the child. She also stated that most girls who are sold as laborers end up being sex trafficked, and explained that Kranti locates these girls and brings them to their center for mental health support, education, career counseling, and helps set them up with internships and jobs. Are these services specifically for survivors of human trafficking or are they also available for at risk children? Can a family who is facing economic hardship contact Kranti for help or resources to support their child? If so: do families living in vulnerable areas know that centers like Kranti are an option for their children; how does Kranti and similar organizations intervene in the community and provide education and raise awareness about their services?
5) Does Kranti also provide support to adult women who have been trafficked as children?
6) Trina also mentioned that while Kranti receives grants, the organization needs to take a percentage from the earnings of the girls they rehabilitate and will rely on donations from the girls who graduate the programs. She also mentioned that the girls like to help use their skills to help farm the land that Kranti uses. While these arrangements all seem necessary to keep the organization going, it suggests that the girls are expected to pay Kranti back, which doesn’t entirely allow them their freedom because it places them once more on the lesser end of a power dynamic/differential. Also, these arrangements might not always present a viable financial supplement: what if the girls for some reason are unable to financially contribute to Kranti? What other avenues should Kranti pursue for funding?
7) As agents of social change, how do Kranti-rehabilitated girls raise awareness about Kranti’s services?
