World Help proudly partners with inspiring individuals all around the world whose lives are dedicated to ensuring that others have hope. And Mannu Rongong is a striking example of such devotion. She works to bring hope to women and young girls living in the “red-light” district of West Bengal State, India . . . one of the most hopeless places on earth.
After growing up in a strict religious family, Mannu made the decision to abandon her devout heritage and commit her life to God . . . but at a great cost. She was disowned by her family—abandoned by those she loved the most. Yet she emerged from this great loss and began living her life with a new objective.
Moved by the plight of women in India, Mannu began a ministry in the red-light district where sex trafficking is more prevalent and young girls are at risk of sexual abuse. Her vision for this ministry was sparked after counseling 97 girls who were rescued from a brothel. Listening to their stories gave her an ultimate challenge: She had to find a way to make a difference.
Today, she is doing just that through the Waasta Children’s Home. It strategically ministers to the daughters of women trapped in prostitution. Many of their mothers work in the sex industry simply as a last resort to overcome the crippling force of poverty. They sell themselves to provide for their children . . . out of pure desperation.
And since many of these women are also HIV/AIDS victims, they are frequently sick and unable to care for their children. Without protection, their daughters are at risk of sexual abuse and even of being trafficked into other big cities, such as New Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai where the sex trade is more active. Life for these families is one perpetual cycle of fear and despair.
But through World Help’s partnership with the Waasta Children’s Home, hope is being restored. Sponsorship provides each young girl with essential provisions, spiritual nurturing, and the ability to attend school. They are also given the opportunity to undergo trauma counseling and develop specialized skills through arts and crafts, computer classes, and music.
And for their mothers, we can give no greater gift. Knowing that their children are cared for is a promise powerful enough to redeem them from their desperate lifestyles.
Together, Mannu, the Wastaa Children’s Home, and World Help are strategically altering futures by fighting the injustice of hopelessness characterized by the Indian sex trade. Join us as we work in the lives of innocent children by instilling the resounding power of hope.
Invest in the lives of Indian children like those at Waasta Children’s Home today.