TRIVENI ACHARYA
2015 HERO AWARD
2013 HUMANITARIAN AWARD
President, The Rescue Foundation
India and Bangladesh
Triveni Acharya’s work as a journalist led her to a brothel in India where she met a 10-year-old girl who had been imprisoned, sexually assaulted and stripped of her rights. This experience drove Acharya to dedicate her life to rescuing victims of trafficking. Determined to take action, Acharya and her husband convinced a policeman to accompany them on their first rescue of another young girl. She had been imprisoned in a brothel in Mumbai’s red light district. When they arrived, a group of girls were waiting for them, all desperate to escape. Since then, Triveni has fearlessly led the way in rescuing over 4,000 victims of child trafficking through her organization, The Rescue Foundation, which provides health care, legal aid, counseling, nutrition, and vocational training for rescued children.
Children rescued by The Rescue Foundation are placed in protective homes, where they are safe, supported, and have the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Children rescued from brothels are immediately transported to one of The Rescue Foundation’s safe houses, where they receive legal aid and protection from harm. All children admitted into a safe house receive medical care, three nutritious meals every day, and psychological counseling. To help them rehabilitate, children learn income-generating skills like tailoring, embroidery, or vocational training, ensuring that they can sustain themselves once they fully recover and leave the safe houses.
