Guria India Blog

"Guria was the inspiration behind the report" stated panelist Nick Grono, CEO of Freedom Fund, at the launch of the report titled Justice First: Legal Strategies to Combat Human Trafficking in India. Monique Villa, CEO of the Thomas Reuters Foundation and Ajeet Singh, founder and director of Guria, were also present as panelists at the event which took place in Mumbai on May 5, 2015.

On Friday 27th February, Guria rescued 37 bonded laborers—including 16 children and one pregnant woman—from a brick kiln in the Allahabad District of Uttar Pradesh state. These enslaved people were migrant workers from states surrounding Uttar Pradesh who were entrapped by the brick kiln owner, were forced to do grueling labor without pay, and were not allowed to leave. As more and more rescued survivors of human trafficking reach their home villages, word is  spreading about Guria throughout rural communities all over Northern India. More and more people show up at Guria’s doorstep every week, telling stories of their family and loved ones who are trapped in all forms of slavery—including sex slavery. They are from far away, bravely leaving their home villages to reach the Guria office and ask for help to rescue their families from slavery. Many of these people have been trying to get someone to help their enslaved families for years, but as no one listens to them or believes ...

Guria was prominently featured in Piers Moore Ede’s new book: Kaleidoscope City – A Year in Varanasi. Quote from Piers: “there is a chapter in there about Guria which many people are telling me is the most powerful part of the book.” Piers Moore Ede is from the U.K. and spent a year in Varanasi while detailing his life-changing experiences. Congratulations Piers, and look out for his book in bookstores near you!

Get ready for March 18th, 2015. PRESENTING… The FREEDOM NOW Global Art Exchange & Exhibit! Guria is orchestrating a worldwide day of art and awareness on March 18th with hundreds of students around the world, from schools in countries including Indonesia, Brazil, China, Japan, Peru, Angola, South Africa, Switzerland, Montenegro, the United States, and India! JOIN US! So many of us would love to help fight human trafficking but DON’T KNOW HOW…Here’s an easy, fun, and MEANINGFUL way to get involved! Participation for a school is simple: 1) Educate students about human trafficking 2) Create art about human trafficking 3) Exchange art with other students on Guria’s exchange website 4) Put on a student art exhibit in their respective community that contains a mix of student art from all over the world! March 18th—A GLOBAL PHENOMENON! Guria intern Chase Hommeyer was recently featured on CNN’s homepage, and she is working with other CNN featurees ...

Well done Gaurav Mathur! He ran the Old Deer Park Richmond Half Marathon, in London, on Sunday and raising nearly £150 for Guria! We are so grateful for your support and applaud your accomplishment. Please do chip in and support Gaurav’s brave efforts here: https://www.justgiving.com/gaurav-mathur2

On February 16th, Guria rescued four siblings from slavery in a brick kiln in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh state. The four bonded laborers were all siblings—three sisters and their brother, and one of the sisters was only 5 years old. Of the many enslaved people Guria has rescued in the past 35 days, we have found that most of them are not actually from Uttar Pradesh state, where the brick kilns were located. Most of the rescued victims have been from neighboring states.