Zoya Soon to be Married!

Zoya and her Fiancé

In September 2022, our team rescued Zoya from a private brothel in Chandrapur, Maharashtra. She was 14 years old. Over the past 3 years, our social workers have continued to visit Zoya regularly.

When social worker Shelly visited Zoya at her home in Kolkata on July 13th, Zoya's mother informed us that Zoya will soon turn 18 and marry her 23-year-old cousin (a common practice in India). Her fiancé lives in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He completed high school, knows how to cook, and plans to open a food stall. Zoya is very excited about getting married!

Health problems are common in victims of sex trafficking, and sadly, Zoya has dealt with a number of them, including UTIs, viral fevers, and jaundice. Earlier this month, she was hospitalized for a severe UTI, and she is currently dealing with anemia.

During a previous visit, Zoya expressed her eagerness to learn tailoring. Shelly will continue to visit Zoya and encourage her to develop new skills like this, and our team will continue to support and check in with Zoya as she enters this new phase of life!