ACTION AGAINST CHILD PROSTITUTION - MADURAÏ, INDIA

* The local context
* Nanban's activities
* The project

Certain studies in India indicate that over 50% of girls are raped before reaching the age of 15.

In 1999, out of an estimated 2 million prostitutes, around 15% were children. Child prostitution is flourishing and domestic sexual abuse of young girls or by those having authority over them has spread in a manner unthinkable only a few years back.

A new phenomenon is rising in addition to these abuses. Racketeers arrange what is called a "Wedding night", which is akin to a traditional arranged marriage. In fact, a young girl is sold for $500 to spend, under lock and key, several nights with a man usually much older than her. Once liberated, these girls often end up on the street, due to the fact that having lost their virginity they are considered worthless by their families.

A decade-long drought in the area around Maduraï, has provoked a rural exodus. A large part of the population that is leaving for the cities consists of children. In the city, they survive by taking on small jobs such as shoe-shiners, rag collectors, scrounging for food in every little corner of the city, working as waiters, dishwashers, messengers, ... Fending alone for themselves, they are easy targets for gangs who are always searching for new recruits. In this way, a lot of children wind up in organized crime, prostitution, become shoplifters or purse-snatchers, middlemen in the resale of stolen goods, drug-dealers, mendicants, ...

Physically and psychologically aid the children, and provide them with an educational support to air in the re-integration into society.

In order to achieve the aforementioned goals, Nanban has designed several initiatives to aid children of the street. These include: aid and care facilities, literacy programs, an income-generating farm that teaches children agriculture and animal husbandry, a centre that teaches welding, notebook manufacturing, sewing and batik, a centre that trains chauffeurs and mechanics, creation of credit for needy families, activist children’s clubs whose aim is to dissuade other children from taking paths that lead to crime, an aid center for girls offering them shelter, support and advice, as well as education.

In its 13 years of experience, Nanban has aided 15159 children and has established itself as a pioneer in social services in the eyes of the authorities. Nanban manages seven residences and a learning centre for boys and girls. It is the first organization in Maduraï to offer educational possibilities to girls.

Nanban also wishes to promote a movement, which by catalyzing social sentiment and political action, would reexamine and analyze the state of affairs that leads to the abandonment of children.

The project is based upon Nanban’s experience in fighting against prostitution and the engagement of families of the entire community in all stages of this program. The objectives are not only to prevent rape and prostitution, but also to encourage the community in reintegrating children who have already fallen victims to these horrible crimes.

We believe it to be of the utmost importance that the community feel responsible for sexual abuse, whatever the form, and to aid rather than marginalize the victims or treat them as lunatics.

For this purpose, women were invited to form small groups called "Kalasam" by means of which they are able to find certain income-generating activities. These groups, through their influence, may, above all, better the situation of their loved ones (education for children, hygiene, restraint among men). They are also important indicators for the teachers who, with their help, are able to gather data on exploitation of children, drug-use and spread, and sexual violence.

The beneficiaries of this program are girls, aged 10 to 18, who were pushed into prostitution, young children at risk, and single women in charge of families living in poverty.

For more information, contact Nanban :

Challenges and difficulties ...

... Activity fields of an association

Created on 5 march, 2005 - Updated on 15 november, 2007