Hamira's Story
Fighting Her Way Back Home

Hamira, an 11 year old girl, had been trafficked and rescued recently. Presently she is enrolled in the CINI IIMPACT Learning Centre. She studies in the 5th grade of the Shotol Kolsa School and goes to the CINI centre. She has a few friends with whom she plays in the afternoon, before attending the local Madrasa in the evening. At home, she has her mother, brother, and sister-in-law.

Eight months ago her aunt had taken Hamira to her house in the countryside. What started out as a vacation soon turned into a nightmare for the girl. When Hamira started complaining that she wanted to go home, her aunt sold her off to a household in Bihar where she was made to look after a baby. She was responsible to clean up the baby every time she defecated, other than the daily chores. She would be beaten up too. Meanwhile, her teachers back home realised that something was amiss when Hamira didn’t show up in school for a long time. They approached her mother to find out what was wrong. The mother initially denied the possibility of her daughter being in any danger, but finally called her sister to find out where Hamira was, only to be threatened of dire consequences. Ultimately one day, Hamira was able to access a phone and she called up the local panchayat. The panchayat helped to bring Hamira home.