Rupali
Rupali’s father works as a driver in Jaipur. She lives with her grandmother, who is a retired sex worker, in the village. She has just completed grade 8. Rupali’s siblings live in Jaipur with the father. She wants to study further but can’t as her father is not willing to support her education. Her grandmother is dependent on the old age pension which is not enough to even support their monthly household expenses. Rupali hopes to find a good job to support her grandmother after completing her education.
Ishita
Ishita’s mother is a commercial sex worker and she is the only daughter in the family. This means that the burden to sustain the family after her mother retires will be on her. She has three brothers. Ishita’s mother has been wanting to send her into sex work but she is determined to not enter the trade. She topped her grade 10 exams and wanted to study science but due to lack of financial support, she was unable to do so. She also won the Gargi Award, an award given by the state government to the best performers in the state. She recently appeared for her grade 12 exams. She wants to pursue her bachelors from a good college in Jaipur, become an Indian Administrative Services Officer and help other girls from her village in breaking this cycle of sex work and prostitution.
Chaaya
Chaaya completed her grade 8 exams this year. Her father runs a small shop in the village. She has five brothers and is the only daughter in the house. She is extremely vulnerable to trafficking because of poverty. Due to lack of resources in the house and the economic condition of the family, Chaaya will be sent for sex work in the next few months. Chaaya is a brilliant student and wants to help other girls to fulfill their dreams.
Smita
Smita is 14 years old. Her family consists of her mother, father who is HIV positive, two brothers who are currently studying, and two elder sisters who are commercial sex workers. Her elder sister used to excel in school but was forced into the sex trade by her mother. Smita is an ardent learner and hopes to continue with her education. She recently wrote her grade 8 exams. Her mother is very keen on sending her to Mumbai once the lockdown is revoked.
Ananya
Ananya, 17 years old, has just given her exams for grade 8. She is one of the brightest students in her village and has won numerous competitions. Her mother who was a commercial sex worker passed away recently due to HIV. She has two older siblings; a brother and a sister. The sister is working in the red-light area of Mumbai and the brother stays in Mumbai with her. Her younger sister and brother live with Ananya in their village. Ananya is financially dependent on her aunt, who is also a commercial sex worker, and who wants to send Ananya into the sex trade. Ananya is adamant she does not want to follow her family and community traditional practice and she hopes to have the opportunity for a better life. She often breaks down while thinking of her mother who wanted her to continue with her education and avoid entering this practice.
Anita
When one first meets Anita, you see a shy 16-year-old, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Anita belongs to a community known to send their girls into the sex trade as soon as they hit puberty. Anita’s mother is a commercial sex worker and so is her grandmother. Anita may be shy at first but is absolutely certain that she doesn’t want to follow her family’s traditional practice. She is the first girl from the community to have gone beyond grade 8. But this wasn’t easy. When she was about to start grade 9, her family members insisted on stopping her education in order to send her to the red-light area of Mumbai. Anita, however, is a promising student and she is determined to pursue her education to become a police officer and help fight for women and children’s rights.
Jaskirat Kaur
“I believe that we are all connected and any child born into difficult circumstances could have been me or mine.This motivates me to do everything I can to make a difference in the lives of children so that they can reach their true potential. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to work with inspiring and compassionate people to help bring about this change.”
Jaskirat has held senior leadership roles in the insurance industry in Canada and in India before entering the non profit sector with iPartner India, Canada. Her past management and start-up experience has helped structure the charity and develop partnerships in India that allow iPartner India, Canada to fulfill its mission.
Sandeep Dani
” I am very happy to be associated with Ipartner India, Canada as we collectively begin a mission to make a difference in the life of many and make a positive contribution towards the community.”
Sandeep is a Chartered Accountant (India) and Certified Internal Auditor and currently advises clients as part of Enterprise Risk Advisory and Consulting at KPMG, Canada. He has held senior management roles within the Financial Service and Insurance Sector in North America and India. He brings his financial acumen to the board of iPartner India, Canada.
Rita Lekhi
” I believe that the purpose of our existence Is to serve and give back to humanity in whatever way we can. Helping children reach their potential is where the future of human growth is, and it motivates me to serve for this cause.”
Rita is the successful business owner of Zedd’s Boutique based in Mississauga, Ontario. She is also an accomplished yoga teacher and a motivational coach. She brings her keen business sense and passion to the board of iPartner India, Canada.
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