For several weeks a man befriended the 14-year-old girl outside of her school in India. She accepted rides home with him thinking he was expressing innocent kindness. One day he told her he had many contacts out in Mumbai who could provide her with a higher education. Convinced that the man was honest, she agreed to go to Mumbai. She had no idea this man was a trafficker, and he had perfected a convincing story that helped him persuade young girls to go with him to Mumbai, where he would sell them into sex slavery.
WIN’s native leader of this region was notified, and a team member intercepted the group of boys with the girl at one of the train stops on the way to Mumbai. Our team member was able to return the girl to her family unharmed. Her story reminds us of the risks surrounding the innocence of young people in their dreams of having a better future and why we, as a global community, must continue to fight the crisis of human trafficking.