From Kamathipura, a survivor’s story

The monster of human trafficking often wears a familiar face—that of a trusted family member, relative or even a spouse. Tragically, this trust proves misplaced, and many women find themselves trapped in circumstances out of their control and their lives are forever changed. Such stories abound in the city’s red-light areas, where many victims of human trafficking live and work. The Community Health Project at Mumbai Smiles reaches out to such victims, some of whom share their heartbreaking stories with us.

One such story was shared by Mamata (name changed), a professional sex worker from Kamathipura, a red-light area. She led an ordinary life with her husband and two children in Kolkata. Things took a drastic turn for the worse with the death of her husband. To cope with this blow, Mamata remarried; her new husband was her friend’s brother and she hoped he would help her raise her daughters. She and her family then moved to Mumbai, where she was duped and trafficked into prostitution. Today, she says that she does what she has to in order to raise her children. She sees hope at the end of the tunnel; of educating her children and giving them a good start in life and also triumphing over her past.