Despite Losing Her Husband, Triveni Continues To Fight For Countless Young Girls, Help Her

“It is not an easy fight but it is a necessary one. My family, my friends, and the whole of society were critical of what I was doing. I lost my husband during this fight but instead of making me weak, it only strengthened my resolve. I want to give these girls, these women a life of respect - just like they deserve,” - Triveni Acharya, Co-Founder, Rescue Foundation. 

For over two decades now, Rescue Foundation has been fighting human trafficking by rescuing women and young girls from the trap of forced prostitution. Many of them were sold to the pimps by their own families. Many were manipulated with false promises of well-paid jobs, love, and marriage etc. They were targeted and exploited through no fault of their own.

Each year their shelter homes in Mumbai, Pune, Boisar and Delhi provide safety and protection to over 400 women and girls. Employing a multi-disciplinary approach the shelters serve as healing spaces as well as training centers with various educational, vocational and recreational activities. The Foundation has been focussing on equipping the rescued girls with the skills to develop an income source - so they’re not lured back into the profession. 

Over the years, they have rescued over 6,500+ girls from the exploitative and abusive traps of traffickers.

A journalistic assignment sowed the seeds of a life-long mission for Triveni Acharya 

The year was 1993 and Triveni was working as a crime-beat journalist in Mumbai. One of her assignments took her to the infamous streets of Kamathipura and as fate would have it, she decided to venture into the dingy rooms of a brothel. 

But the task that faced this well-meaning couple was not easy. Rescuing those girls was just the beginning. A long and arduous path was ahead of them - one where many girls weren’t accepted by their families for doing ‘dirty jobs’ or where many of them didn’t know what to do with their lives after being rescued. 

But Triveni and Baldiety were determined to make a difference and established Rescue Foundation in the early 2000s. Triveni would work as a journalist during the day and accompany the police during the raids at night. Her husband would pose as a decoy client to identify minor girls and women who were forcibly and unwillingly trapped in the s*x trade

When their work gained recognition, donations and accolades poured in. 

“But we also started receiving threatening calls. One day, my husband went out for work and met with a road accident. To this day, my heart tells me that it was not an accident. But I didn’t let that stop me from helping these girls who have no one.” 

Rescue Foundation needs your support to continue their noble work

Triveni Acharya is proud of her daughters. She insists, that the survivors have conquered personal battles of great turmoil and are ready to take their just place in society. Today, they are learning, teaching, studying, working, and moving toward the life they deserve.

The girls attribute their success, because their ‘Baddi Mummy’ – Triveni Acharya believed in their potential, much before they could.  Unlike the prejudice of the masses, she chose to see the truth, extend a helping hand, and open her heart and her home to them.               

Today, the Foundation needs your help to continue its work for many more in need. While anti-trafficking efforts are a daunting task - supportive and kind donors make it all possible. You can donate groceries and hygiene products to ensure quality care for the women and girls residing in the shelters.      

About the NGO: Founded by the Late Mr. Baldiety Acharya and Mrs. Triveni Acharya, Rescue Foundation has been fighting human trafficking and rescuing women and young girls from forced prostitution for over two decades now. The award-winning organisation has four government-licensed shelter homes in Mumbai, Boisar, Pune, and Delhi that serve as healing spaces as well as training centres for the rescued girls. For 22 years, the NGO has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and repatriating the survivors of Human Trafficking to give them a fair chance at a life of dignity.