Sangam Vihar
Shelter
Many young girls in India are victims of trafficking and abuse. When rescued by the police, girls need a safe place to stay whilst their legal cases are determined. It is estimated that 20 to 65 million people are affected by commercial sexual exploitation in India today, and 80% of those are women. When rescued by the police, girls need a safe place to stay whilst their legal cases are determined. Victims of trafficking need specialized care and support by trained caregivers.
The Sangam Vihar shelter is a licensed 25 bed shelter for young girls who have been trafficked, raped, and systematically abused. The goal of the shelter is to provide a place of refuge and restoration so that young girls can be returned back home with their families where they belong. Our team takes the girls in, cares for and counsels them, and advocates on their behalf in court. Not only do they receive medical and trauma care, shelter, food, and clothing, they are warmly received by our team who researches their background and advocates on their behalf for the best possible outcome.
The shelter is under the jurisdiction of the Child Welfare Council and girls are brought to us who have been rescued by the police. Our team takes the girls in, cares for and counsels them, and advocates on their behalf in court. Over 90% of these daughters are restored back home with their families or placed in long-term family care within days to a few months’ time.
To date, this shelter has cared for over 600 young girls with a 95% success rate of family restoration. The governing body in Delhi declared our shelter as the model so that any group wanting to open a similar effort must be trained and certified by our team.
The reason for our success is that we prioritize the wellbeing of each girl brought to this shelter. Many girls are quiet, closed off and lack desire to play or eat when they first arrive. Through counseling, medical care, and a loving, family atmosphere, they begin to heal and gain confidence as we move towards complete and healthy restoration.We are recognized by the CWC as one of the best shelters in Delhi with respect to victims of trafficking, abuse and forced labour; in particular, we are recognized for our high success rate of restoration. Our restoration process includes counseling, claiming compensation through the justice system and reintegration with family. We have successfully reunited 115 girls with their families since 2011.
