Kashi* was only 5 years old when she was taken from her family and sold into forced labor for a wealthy family in Kolkata, India. Confused and alone, she spent the next 10 years in a never-ending cycle of housework, laundry and loneliness—always desperate for a childhood like other girls her age.
Instead, Kashi faced frequent physical, verbal and sexual abuse throughout her childhood, leaving her feeling worthless and traumatized. At 15, she learned this family’s other dark secret: they were connected to Kolkata’s illicit sex trafficking industry, and this would be her fate. For over a month, Kashi was dressed up and sold to 15-20 men a day, in a room that locked from the outside.
Thousands of children like Kashi are taken and trafficked into forced labor, enduring exploitation and abuse. Give today to help rescue children like Kashi.
Then one day — thanks to the support of people like you — a pair of undercover IJM staff arrived at the brothel and immediately recognized Kashi was in trouble. In just a few days, they rallied local authorities to conduct a rescue operation at the massive brothel and brought Kashi to safety at last.
“I never thought I would get out of that place,” Kashi says. But thanks to IJM supporters, she did.
IJM is actively working to rescue children like Kashi from trafficking around the world. As we prepare to send more teams, please give now to help rescue vulnerable children.
Following her rescue, Kashi moved into a loving aftercare home and began the long process of restoration. She participated in crucial trauma-focused therapy, built a strong relationship with her IJM caseworkers, and even got to go to school for the first time in her life. “I will not have to be scared because of my past. I will hold my head high. Always. I will not let it come down,” Kashi says today. We will not stop until all are free. Please help send more rescue teams today.
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