===========================
				Mr. Ramamohan
				HELP- Ongole
			===========================

Credits: Rohini Muthuswamy 

[Will be completed soon]

Mohan: AP- the present scenario

       The 5th largest state of India.  Literacy rate is 61%.  AP is
       one of the pioneering states for ushering the economic reform
       policies. Many of the Public companies have been shut down or
       handed over to the private companies.  Corporal punishment has
       been baneed in the school.  Janamabhoomi scheme has been
       launched.

       The grim reality: Trafficking has become a major problems in
       AP. AP is one of the highest supply states mostly to other
       metro cities. 
	     26% of the girls enter between 14-16 
	     20% between 16-18 years 
	     16% before the age of 14 years.  
	     
       The trend is increasing and is spreading towards the Middle
       east countries.

       Factors involved in this trafficking:

       (1) Environmental- Large number of families between poverty line.
       AP is implementing several reforms.
   
       (2) Social factors- the Dommara tribe follows the system of
       child prostitution in AP. You can get the information from the
       write-up[distributed at the conference]. The girls enter
       prostitution by puberty.  They have low literacy rate.  Where
       ever two or three families of Dommara live together, they are
       the brothel keepers, the prostitutes, the pimps.  
       
       The PUSH factors [complete list in the write up]

	   Implementation of reforms in areas where there
	   is poverty, unemployment, landlessness 
	   
	   Greed and lack of respect of the traffickers for basic
	   human rights 
	   
	   Desire of financial independence 
	   
	   Gender and socialization

	   Culture/traditional practices 
	   
	The PULL factors [complete list in the write up]
	
	   Economic Demand for child labours 

	   Demand for children in prostitution in urbanized cities

	   Globalization Commercialization of agriculture 
	   
	   Lack of occupational skills 
	   
	   Role of AP Government - [poor] Rescue and rehabilitation
	   policy in AP.

	AP has constituted a state level coordination committee on
	prostitution and child prostitution.  The government released
	policy on Rescue and Rehabilitation. The GO released by AP
	mentions all the issues and that HIV/AIDS is increasing in the
	state.  The government has constituted a district level
	committee.  The government has also elucidated what can be
	done to prevent prostitution.  The government has also a set
	of anti-trafficking measures - an anti-trafficking squad
	comprising of an officer, social workers etc.  The district
	committee shall, in case of rescue, arrange immediately for a
	shelter facility.  
	
	Economic empowerment has also been addressed along with health
	care services, education and child care, housing and civic
	amenities and legal reforms, rehabilitation and relief fund.
	A state-level committee has also been established.  But there
	are bottlenecks- There are no proper mechanism to implement
	the rescue and rehab policy. There are minimal community based
	prevention activities.
	
	In AP there are only 4 organizations who are directly working
	with children of victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

	Role of NGOs: Advocacy and lobbying the officials and people
	representatives.  There is also need for planning and
	coordination both at the district level and the state level.
	
	Role of HELP: For children of victims of commercial sexual
	exploitation in coastal AP: 
		     
	   Health: Birth registration, immunization, safe birth
	   practices, nutitional support
	
	   Care: Drop-in centers in Red-light areas, night care services
	   
	   Education: Residential school, 
		      Mainstreaming of children in  normal schools
		      Counseling, sensitization of school teachers
		      Formation of child right groups, 
		    
           Youth: Formation of  adolescent groups in community level.	   
		  Formation of SHGs. 
		  
           Rehabilitation: Home placement of rescued girls, 
			   Skill training
			   Developing peer volunteers.  
		
           Community: 	 
			 Formations of social support groups, 
			 Using media
			 Community sensitization, 
			 Sensitization  of police persons 

	Achievements: Over 150 children have benefited through the
	Drop-in centers.  170 children got birth certificates.  
	
	HELP networks with the state government NGOs, International
	NGOs.

	Counseling, Interventions, Education etc are the areas
	where HELP is working.  

Q and A session: 

Q: From the transit center where do they go?  It is run away far from
   the prostitution area? How many people are being employed by you?  

Mohan: For the residential schools, we have five girls who have been
       rescued by us.  

Q: What kind of problems do you face?  

Mohan: One girl has attained puberty by the age of 12.  the mother now
       wants to take the girl home to do a function.  She says that
       she will send the girl back to us. I finally accepted it after
       contacting the community.  The girl was trained in karate; so
       when a pimp came to abduct her, she was able to shout and
       protect herself.  The girl now does not want to face anyone.
       She tried to cut the area [shoulder] where the pimp/father
       touched her.  She went through a severe trauma where we had to
       counseling.