World Vision project in Rajasthan helps children caught in sex trade

World Vision's Jeevan Asha Healthy Highway Project has brought hope to the lives of hundreds of girls vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation along the National Highway-8 in Rajasthan.

The 140 km stretch of National Highway-8 was a stopover that offered greater diversion than speeding till a few years ago. This stretch in Rajasthan had attracted small settlements of farmers who had long ago given up agriculture, but their source of income remained, thanks to the birth of the girl child in their homes.

Unable to support their families, most of the parents chose to send their daughters to 'work', which ensured everyone at home had food on the table, but at what cost? The girl child was exploited beyond endurance to feed her family.

Vulnerable and unaware of the consequences most of them succumbed to sacrifice their childhood for their families; the result has almost always been HIV/AIDS, which they contracted and later passed on to their children, thereby never being in a position to end the vicious cycle of exploitation, disease and hopelessness.

World Vision's Jeevan Asha Healthy Highway Project was set up over a decade ago to stop the communities in the area from exploiting their children. The project chiefly focuses on Advocacy, Capacity building, Care and support, Networking, Prevention and Research to make sure that the children in the region have a healthy childhood and a better future.

Today the project is benefiting over 700 children in the area, and World Vision has set up a 'Leadership Academy of Children' in the region to make sure that children in Rajnat and the surrounding communities become aware of their rights.

The Jeevan Asha Healthy Highway Programme is based in Jaipur, Rajasthan. It works along a 140km stretch of National Highway-8 where people are at great risk of HIV and AIDS. Between 2 - 5 million long-distance drivers work in India. Away from home for weeks at a time they can be tempted into risky behaviour.

The Rajnat communities, are traditional sex workers and have established villages along the highway, giving the truckers easy access to their services. Ultimately, both the Rajnat women and the truckers (and consequently their partners and children back in their home communities) are at high risk of becoming HIV positive. World Vision is working with both groups to reduce the risks.