CASE STUDIES

ATC Release : Falling through the Cracks in the System
Prerana’s Sentinel team shares a case study of their experience of working with Zara, a victim of commercial sexual exploitation with grave mental health concerns.

Digital Divide : Conversations with Children
Through this document, Prerana brings to you the opinions of children regarding the reopening of schools amidst the pandemic. While the digital divide that exists in India is well known, the challenges that children themselves face while coping with the digital divide has not been spoken about enough. This document is based on a discussion that Prerana’s Sanmaan team had with the children they work with to know their thoughts, experiences with online classes; their responses to the government’s decision to reopen schools; and the precautions they think the system should take for their safety.

COVID-19 and Careleavers : Prerana’s Interventions
This document highlights the challenges faced by care leavers amid the COVID-19 induced lockdown, and how Prerana has assisted them in mitigating the crisis. Beginning with providing immediate assistance for groceries and ration and moving towards assistance in accessing job opportunities and psycho-social support, to taking the issues faced by them to the national level, Prerana has been documented its efforts to help them manage the unprecedented times.

Using the term ‘Survivor’: Facilitating Conceptual Clarity in the Anti-Trafficking Domain
Over the past decade we have come across an increased use of the term survivors to refer to victims of trafficking. Various platforms, organisations, institutions, individuals use the term ‘Survivor’ widely differently and there has been little effort to put these usages in a comparative and analytical perspective for better understanding. We have not come across any serious analytical essay on the use of the term which implies a possibility that the use may be more a product of being fashionable than conceptually accurate. This note is an attempt to facilitate conceptual clarity on the use of these terms in the anti-trafficking domain.

ATC Release: Building a Relationship of Trust with the Child
When Aparna was placed in a child care institution, there were some details about her background and family that she was not comfortable in sharing with her caseworker. This case study highlights how it takes time to build a relationship of trust with a child. It becomes important to not pressure the child, accept and respect the child’s opinions, and preparedness, while giving them space and freedom to approach the caseworkers when they are ready.

The Principle of Non-Stigmatizing Semantics – Our Experiences and Learnings
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 has also laid down some fundamental principles for the administration of the Act. This document is an attempt to bring one such principle to light, the principle of non-stigmatizing semantics, along with instances where children face stigma due to their backgrounds. In this document, we share a few of the instances observed by Prerana’s diverse project teams while working with children in need of care and protection, and vulnerable children from the red light area. Through this document, we hope to amplify the voices of the children with who we work and the discriminatory behavior that they face.

Rehabilitation & a Failing Judicial System
In this document, we attempt to highlight one such case where the delay in prosecution adversely affected the child’s rehabilitation. It also documents the challenges and difficulties the child faced in other aspects of her life post the traumatic incident.

Building A Life – Akbar’s Story
‘Building A Life – Akbar’s Story’ shares the journey of a seventeen-year-old boy, who continues to overcome the challenges innate to the red-light area and hopes to live a better life for both himself and his family. The case study also sheds light on Prerana’s various interventions to ensure that the children have access to all the available opportunities.

ATC Release: Scaling in Depth
When a child who has been missing from home, is found by the police or other relevant authorities, it is important to gather preliminary facts of the case before restoring the child immediately to the family. This is a case that highlights the link between missing children and sex trafficking.

The Right to Education: Fighting the odds – The story of Madhuri
Formal education isn’t always a priority for the marginalized children living in the red-light area. They may not even have access to formal education. Prerana’s Educational Support Program caters to all educational needs of children – be it curricular, co-curricular or extra-curricular. Education is essential for a successful and stable future. Here we share the story of Madhuri*, a child who fought the odds for her right to an education.

ATC Release: Ascertaining the Age of a Rescued Victim
This case study is an effort to highlight the importance of age verification in cases of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children.

ATC Release: When Families facilitate Exploitation
In 2019, Prerana was referred a case of a child from one such community. Ishita (name changed), a native of Uttar Pradesh had been pushed into the sex trade by her family.