Runaway girls

Teacher explaining a point to her pupils

Saathi Street Kids- Invisible Girl Project

Every year thousands of runaway girls arrive at Mumbai station, alone, penniless, anxious, confused maybe even traumatised. For an experienced human trafficker they are easy to spot. It is estimated that a girl has just twenty to thirty minutes before she is approached. From there the girls just disappear, swallowed up into the sex trade or into the street gangs. These are the invisible girls.

For Saathi, it’s a race against time; they work in cooperation with the police, porters and ticket inspectors on the lookout for these girls. Saathi operates a hostel for all the girls who are found. The operation HQ is in a leafy suburb of Mumbai, it offers the girls a bed, nutritious food, and a chance for them to tell their stories. The experienced staff at Saathi know that girls run away from home for a number of reasons and that it may take weeks or even months persuade the girls to open up and tell their stories. Saathi are patient.

The girls are encouraged to express themselves; they have the chance to learn vocational skills like sewing and typing. Saathi also run a glass mosaic project as part of its income generation programme; girls can sell the finished items in boutiques in Mumbai. Over time, girls gain in confidence, begin to trust the Saathi staff and invariably begin to share their stories and their experiences. Without the dedicated work of Saathi’s staff and the money and support from Karuna, these girls would have no where to turn. The buzz of activity, the smiles and laughter which light up this hostel offer reassurance that these girls have been rescued, they have found a safe refuge in a harsh world.

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