Combating child trafficking

Child trafficking sadly is a huge problem in India. It is estimated that between 44 - 60,000 children a year are trafficked, both into the sex trade and bonded labour. 

The causes are complex, but largely due to economic deprivation and lack of employment. Many people go into large amounts of debt and are forced into a desperate situation of selling one of their children. These debts are often caused by substantial medical bills, due to India’s medical system being a very profit driven business. It is estimated by some that as many as 4.5 million families per year, in India are pushed into debt due to medical bills.

At ‘Love the One’ we aim to tackle Child Trafficking in three main ways.

1) Raising awareness with the children, young people and families that we work with.

Traffickers seek out poor families and promise a better life for one of their children for a small amount of money. We aim to raise awareness in the communities that are at risk, through the programs we run.

2) Going upstream of the problems by providing FREE paediatric care.

By providing good quality, affordable health care to vulnerable communities, we are helping to prevent families from getting into desperate situations financially and sacrificing one child to traffickers, for the sake of their other children.

Did you know that it is estimated that the unaffordable medical costs for many in india and pushes 57 million people into poverty per year. [CDDEP report on health services.]

Love the One is preventing this for hundreds of family through providing free health care for their children. Upstream of poverty, upstream of traffickers. Yes!!!

3) Education for the Next Generation

By intervening early into impoverished and marginalised families, allowing children at an early age to access education, allows them to have a great head start. Our EPIC centres allow learning to begin through play for our 0-5s and also sensitises their parents to the value of education. Our hope is that every child enrolled into an EPIC centre will go on to primary and secondary education.

Supporting children throughout their school life at our Love the One School  reduces drastically the rate of drop-out into child labouring and increases their likelihood of passing their exams, opening doors for their future. 

An educated population drives away those that may prey on vulnerable communities and empowers each community to thrive.