Ahmednagar is geographically the largest district in Maharashtra state. Incidents of child atrocities, child laborers, use of minors in flesh trade in brothels was rampant in this district. Snehalaya started a 24 x 7 helpline for children and women in distress using our own telephone number - 322525. It was the first attempt of this type in India. From 1996 to 2003, Snehalaya's helpline intervened in more than 7600 cases successfully. In 2003, Snehalaya's helpline was integrated to national childline network, established with the support of the Ministry for Women & Child Development, Government of India, UNICEF and Department of Telecommunications. Snehalaya was selected to work as a collaborative organization of the Childline at Ahmednagar and surrounding areas of about 1.2 Million population. Ahmednagar Childline was launched on April 15th, 2003 in presence of noted social worker Padmbhushan Anna Hajare.

1098 Tele Helpline

1098 is a phone number that spells hope for millions of children across India. CHILDLINE is India's 24-hour, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. Whether you are a concerned adult or a child, you can dial 1098. We not only respond to the emergency needs of children but also link them to services for their long-term care and rehabilitation. Of the total 84 Child Lines in India, the Ahmednagar Child Line is being recognized among the best managed unit in the country. On an average 250 children in distress from Ahmednagar and surrounding areas seek help from this project every day. Snehalaya has been successful in exposing more than several thousands of cases of exploitation of children. Snehalaya has also been able to provide support for over 2000 children afflicted by cancer, thalesamia and heart diseases. 237 girls and boys were helped by childline to find shelters rehabilitation, free of cost basis.

Snehalaya has also been successful in exposing sex scandals and other child exploitation scams with the help of ChildLine. Snehalaya’s efforts and commitment to make Ahmednagar free from child exploitation of all kinds has given a new lease of life to numerous child laborers. This team also supports in counseling and rehabilitation of rescued minor girls.

We work for the protection of children - especially the more vulnerable ones, which include:

• Street children and youth living alone on the streets
• Child laborers working in the unorganized and organized sectors
• Domestic help, especially women domestics
• Children affected by physical / sexual / emotional abuse in family, schools or institutions
• Children who need emotional support and guidance
• Children of commercial sex workers
• Child victims of the flesh trade
• Victims of child trafficking
• Children abandoned by parents or guardians
• Missing children
• Run away children
• Children who are victims of substance abuse
• Differently-abled children
• Children in conflict with the law
• HIV/ AIDS infected children
• Children affected by conflict and disaster
• Children whose families are in crises

There are 3 important functions performed by CHILDLINE

'TELE HELPLINE'

The CHILDLINE tele-helpline team receives & responds to the calls. The inbound call center is managed by a team of 8 dedicated executives, who work in shifts round the clock - 365 days a year. This team is trained to answer calls in multiple languages.

The childline phone at Snehalaya rings more than 200 times every day. Some calls are extreme emergencies. Some require just emotional support and guidance. Some are just prank calls. But every call is attended with same diligence, and answered within a couple of rings. The child line team is trained in child psychology, legal machinery, emergency procedures, silent call handling, etc.

Crisis Intervention:

Snehalaya runs the Muktawahini Program to intervene in times of crisis. 
Muktiwahini is a team of 10 trained volunteers in uniform, equipped with a vehicle, immediately swinging into action once it gets information about any child requiring assistance. The team effectively prevents trafficking of victimized women & children in flesh trade. Normal legal machinery, inevitably takes time to operate & take action. The criminals take advantage of any such delay & elope with the women & children victims. Muktiwahini works speedily and co-ordinates with police, doctors, juvenile courts and child welfare committees. Thus it helps the police & judiciary. Hence Muktiwahini has become a life-line for the childline team.

Long-term rehabilitation

After the emergency needs of the child have been addressed, CHILDLINE explores options with the child to study, learn a trade, go back home etc. Based on the decision of the child, CHILDLINE links the child to an appropriate organization in the city. Snehalaya childline works closely with the rehabilitation center and other NGOs. After handing over the child to the an appropriate agency, the childline team follows up periodically to ensure the rescued child's safety and well being.

Recent examples of children rescued by Snehalaya Childline

Avinash ( Name Changed ) , 11 years
	Avinash, an 11 year-old child was employed at the Rajkumar circus. The child would lie down and a 40 Kg stone would be broken on his chest with a hammer. The child was forced into this and could not complain to anybody. After the show he would often experience extreme pain. One of the spectators called Snehalaya CHILDLINE to inform about the child. With police assistance the child was rescued and the owner of Rajkumar Circus was taken into custody. A written commitment was taken from the circus owner stating that he would not employ children below the age of 18. He was then released on bail. The child was meanwhile placed at a shelter home by the order of CWC. Avinash's parents were traced and he was later handed over to them.

Ganesh  ( Name Changed ), 9 years
	Ganesh  was living in a school premises, eating out of garbage bins. A person informed the CHILDLINE office about his condition. On reaching the school, the CHILDLINE team was told that he had been taken to live with his sister, a small ill kept hut. The sister refused to let the team talk to the boy. The team learnt from the neighbors, that her husband wanted a piece of property that was in the boy’s name. Ganesh’s parents had died of AIDS a short while ago and his sister wanted to claim the property when Ganesh died. Ahmednagar CHILDLINE rescued the child with the help of police and CWC personnel. Ganesh was diagnosed as HIV positive and was placed in a shelter home. He has been started on anti-retroviral therapy and his nutrition is being monitored.

Yamini (Name changed), New Born
	The tragedy of life began at birth for Yamini. She was left to die found in a thorny bush in the outskirts of the city. Upon recieving a call, the Child line team rushed to the spot. The team found the baby with bruises and cuts all over the body, in a semi unconscious state. The team provided first aid and admitted her in Anand Rushi hospital at Ahmadnagar. The doctors worked for several days and finally succeeded to save her life. The parents could not be traced. Yamini now lives at Snehalaya's rehabilatation center.

 
Ankush (Name Changed), 16 years
Ankush, a 16 yrs old belongs to a family of landless laborers of Anandgaon village of Shirur Kasar of Beed district, about 138 km away from here.  After passing his 10th exams inorder to raise money for further education, which his family could not spare, he joined a powder coating unit at Ahmednagar about 4 months ago. Two of his elderly collegues were sexually abusing him. When he refused once, a pipe of compressor was plunged in his ass and his big intestine was blasted when the compressor machine was started. He was admitted in a hospital thereafter and was unconscious for eight days. Later, he narrated his horrible story to Dr. Hemant Deshpande, a surgeon, who treated Ankush on charity based on request from Snehalaya Childline. 

The ChildLine team lodged a complaint against the four workers and Mr. Ram Raj Rai, the owner of the Rajlaxmi industries.  The owner continuously threatened Ankush that he would kill him if he revealed this incident to anyone. The local police were not co-operating with us initially.  We had to involve the senior police officials, Child Welfare Committee and the Media to register an FIR.  

Eventually, the case was registered under the sections 377 and 307. The accused persons were arrested.

Ankush had to be admidtted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Deshpande hospital.  His survival has raised many questions.  When he will be able to live a normal-healthy life? Who will pay the hospital bills? Who will protect him? What about thousands of children like Ankush?
 

Read more about Snehalaya's rescue missions in our Rescue Diary