FIELD NOTES
Felix Fellowship – September to December 2022
“We are seeking a person to help establish and initiate an English tutoring program for a range of ages in our new Learning Center in Kolkata” through the Felix Fellowship
Baking & Hospitality Report
What a day! What a week! What a great six months! What a year! The training of the first batch of seven women is officially complete! We made it and
Why IT?
For me, one of the most exciting things about our new Learning Center (in Kolkata’s Sonagachi red light area) is the focus on computer training and digital literacy. Because Our
Full Circle
View PDF version of 2023 Trip Report and images here> In February, I traveled to India and Nepal with other staff and members of our community to check in on
Baking & Hospitality Report
What a month! From day one, we have had such adventures and experiences. From sari clad puja pandal hopping, prepping and serving multiple lunches for 25 American guests, prepping and
Field Report – Spring 2022
I have just returned from a 3 week trip to India and Nepal. This was my first chance to visit India in over two years! It was a heart-opening experience
The Untouchables
Caste and Human Trafficking Caste discrimination affects an estimated 260 million people worldwide, the vast majority of whom live in South Asia. Within the caste system, the Dalits or untouchables
Summer 2021 Updates
Summer Newsletter 2021 After working in Kolkata for 13+ years, we finally have the opportunity to create a space large enough for all of the education, mental health and vocational
Nepal Update – Nov. 2021
Nepal Update – Nov. 2021 I just returned from several weeks in Nepal, working alongside Anjali Tamang at the new school that she has built – and that HFC is
Minu
A Beautiful Soul – Minu Last week we lost one of our own. Our Community Organizer Minu Chetri passed away from tuberculosis. TB is very common in red light area,
Spring 2020 at Her Future
COVID-19 Update India is in the midst of a strict, nationwide 40 Day lockdown. This means you cannot leave your home without police permission, even to buy food. Our families
How common is HIV/AIDS in India’s Red Light Areas?
How common is HIV/AIDS in India’s Red Light Areas? by Sarah Symons, Founder & Director, and Richa Gupta, Research Fellow One survivor who inspired the founding of Her Future was Anita, who I met
The Role of Tech in Human Trafficking
The Role of Tech in Human Trafficking by Her Future Research Fellow Richa Gupta That technology has made our lives infinitely easier and miles more convenient is an indisputable fact;
Child Marriage in India
Child Marriage in India – Another Form of Human Trafficking. by Her Future Research Fellow Richa Gupta, Stanford University According to Girls Not Brides, India has the highest number of
Pain Won’t Be Her Only Story
Pain Won’t Be Her Only Story By Sarah Annay, Her Future Communications Director and creator of Vision for Empowerment workshops. We first started offering Vision for Empowerment workshops in 2015. What
The Physical and Psychological Consequences of Human Trafficking
The Physical and Psychological Consequences of Human Trafficking by Her Future Research Fellow Richa Gupta India is a beautiful country, boasting incredible diversity, natural landscapes, monuments, and colors. But with
How to Move Forward When All Seems Lost
How to Move Forward When All Seems Lost Last month, I visited our projects in India and Nepal for three weeks. As always, I was awestruck by the courage and
How You Can Be a Slave and Not Know It?
How You Can Be a Slave and Not Know It? Many people who are being enslaved and grossly exploited do not recognize the fact that they are enslaved, or know
Progress!
Progress! In the anti-trafficking field, we have a lot to celebrate. When I first got involved in this issue 15 years ago, public awareness as well as government response were
Why India and Nepal
Why India and Nepal? The latest report from the UN estimates that there are over 40 million slaves in the world today. 40% of the world’s slavery is concentrated in South Asia. This
A Day in the Life…Growing up in Calcutta Red Light Area
A Day in the Life…Growing up in Calcutta Red Light Area JUST FOR A MOMENT, IMAGINE AN HOUR IN THE LIFE OF ANI, A GIRL GROWING UP IN A RED
Otherizing
Otherizing It troubles me that so many posters and campaigns about sex trafficking in the US depict a slender white girl with long, straight, blonde hair. The reality is that
How Not to Portray Trafficking
How Not to Portray Trafficking Each year, we host an art show of photography created in the Vision for Empowerment workshop series, which we have offered to women in Calcutta
Learn to Trust
Learning to Trust Fifteen of us sat in a circle on the cool marble floor, drawing birds and flowers. The girls ranged in age from Jasminda, a tiny seven-year-old with