How Can We Stop Child Hunger?
                     How Can We Stop Child Hunger?
SPONSOR A CHILD
• There is a saying that goes, “When you educate a 
boy, you educate just one. But when you educate a 
girl child, you educate a whole household.” Why is it 
then that a girl child is often neglected? Here is an 
example of just what happens when children are 
neglected. 
    Save a childthrough World Vision and help them 
achieve their dreams. Sponsor a child today.
• Savi, 14, her sister Sonali, 17 and their friend 
Rashmi, 17, were on a bus bound for Motihari, 450 
km from Siliguri, West Bengal. It was Savi’s first trip 
outside the state, and the girls were excited about 
it. Savi’s parents disapproved of the journey, while 
Rashmi’s family was unaware of the trip. 
Anti-Trafficking Network’s (ATN) timely intervention saved the three minor girls from 
the clutch of potential traffickers in Siliguri. The girls were lured by the false promise 
of good jobs and salaries as orchestra dancers at weddings in East Champaran 
District, Bihar. 
“In Bihar, weddings normally end with orchestra dancing, which goes on till early 
morning. It is not a good place for children. It can lead to sexual abuse,” said Amos, a 
World Vision India Staff responsible for initiating the Anti-Trafficking Network at 
Siliguri in 2011. At present, 17 NGOs are part of ATN. Sponsor a child today with us, 
and educate a girl child.
Vinay kept an eye on the girls and potential traffickers and summoned Amos. They 
walked up to them and started small talk. A short conversation was enough to 
convince them that the girls were minors and victims of trafficking in some way or 
the other. Police were called, and the potential traffickers were arrested for further 
interrogation. Our staff was focused on their mission to save a child through their 
interventions.
“Siliguri is a transit point for Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Darjeeling, and Eastern 
Bihar (India). Human trafficking is common and a major problem here. Traffickers 
target minors from the poorest and most dysfunctional families. We work closely with 
the NGOs to get information and to stop trafficking,” said Inspector Pankaj Thapa, In-
charge of Pradhan Nagar Police Station. Such families have innate issues and 
therefore do not educate a girl child. To save a child stuck in such a situation, 
sponsor a child today. According to him, the station alone receives 5-6 minor missing 
cases each month.
An FIR (First Information Report) was registered against the potential traffickers, and 
they were produced at Siliguri court. Nearly three months after the arrest, no one has 
come forward to meet them or bail them out, further affirming their status as 
traffickers. We are always grateful to our staff and the police as they aid us 
immensely in our mission to save a child.
World Vision India helped find shelter for Savi, Sonali, and Rashmi, and they are 
currently placed at a shelter home run by Children in Need Institute (CINI).“At the 
shelter home, we counselled them and help them recover from the shock and trauma 
they might have gone through. We also do various learning activities and get in 
touch with parents and set up opportunities for them to meet the children,” said 
Rohini, caretaker of the shelter home.
World Vision India spearheads the Anti-Trafficking Network in Siliguri. “We meet once 
every month. The network is very strong here. We have a WhatsApp group, and we 
update every information there,” said Amos, standing outside the New Jalpaiguri train 
station, after receiving another lead of trafficking from the police in Sikkim, the 
neighboring state. Our staff is focused and is immensely happy when they save a child. 
We believe the way forward is always to educate a girl child. Sometimes, this requires 
financial assistance; where we ask for your assistance and humbly request you to 
sponsor a child today!
At the shelter home, Savi’s innocence remained intact. “I just wanted to see new places 
with my sister,” she said. Savi’s was the most cheerful of the three. The gravity of the 
situation began to set in only after they were sensitized and counselled. 
She wants to go back to school. Sonali wants 
to become a beautician. Rashmi feels great 
guilt for betraying her family’s trust and 
wants to do justice for the support she 
receives by finishing her studies and getting a 
good job. Help us educate a girl child like 
Rashmi and sponsor a child today.
According to the 2016 NCRB report, only 
32.9% of trafficked victims (67.5% are girls) 
were rescued in west Bengal. Many victims 
don’t get second chances. But these girls do.
Join us.  Together for children. For change. For life.