Parobai wanted the best for her family. But the lies of a recruiter led her, her husband and their two daughters into bonded labor at a sugarcane farm in India.
For months, Parobai and her family were forced to cut sugarcane stalks from 5 a.m. until as late as midnight every day. They toiled under constant verbal abuse, and the sharp stalks and tools left them wounded and scarred. They had to cobble together shelter from bricks and rags, and they often went to sleep hungry.
When Parobai’s family joined other workers in trying to escape, they were caught at the train station. Parobai’s husband managed to evade the owner, but Parobai and her daughters were dragged back to the farm.
“After that incident, I was treated very harshly. (The owner) would often beat us.”
— Parobai
Unbeknownst to Parobai, her husband had made it home to their village. With the help of relatives, he reported their story to Jan Sahas, one of IJM’s partner organizations.
On February 14, 2018, the rescue team worked with law enforcement officers to rescue 17 people — five adults and 12 children — and provide the crisis care they needed.
With your support, Parobai and her family are now free and feeling happy and hopeful. Help IJM rescue and restore more individuals and families and create a future defined by freedom.
Your support also helped provide skills training, including a sewing course, and even gifted Parobai with a sewing machine so she could start her own business.
Today, Parobai is expanding her family’s farm for added income. She also works with police and administrative officers during local rescue operations and is focused on teaching others about the dangers of trafficking.
With calm confidence, Parobai has become the leader and role model her community needs.
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