Sanlaap North America: The Voice of Human Trafficking Victims

Sanlaap North America is a New York-based non-profit that rescues, shelters, and empowers victims of human trafficking. The charity's story began four years ago, when founder and president Sindhura Sarikonda watched The Day My God Died, a documentary about young girls whose lives have been shattered by the child sex trade. Sitting in her dorm room at NYU, Sarikonda watched in horror as girls as young as seven described being abducted, sold, beaten, and forced to work as sex slaves.

The documentary prompted Sarikonda to learn more about human trafficking. As she dug deeper, she discovered that about a million children are believed to be living in India's brothels. What upset her the most was the fact that the child sex trade is largely ignored, with the majority of victims not being rescued. Determined to do her part and join the fight against human trafficking, Sarikonda partnered with Sanlaap India and started Sanlaap North America following a year of preparation and research.

Since 2010, Sanlaap North America has rehabilitated victims of human trafficking, giving them the tools to rewrite their once bleak futures. The organization helps young girls break the bonds of human trafficking and empowers them to become survivors instead of victims. Sanlaap North America provides food, shelter, education, and medical care for 140 girls who were rescued from the red light districts of India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Vocational training and economic rehabilitation are strongly emphasized at the shelter.

Aiming to be the voice of young girls who suffer in silence each day, Sanlaap North America also works to raise awareness about human trafficking and encourage the public to take action. The charity's goal this year is to speak at 12 major universities and organizations.

A fast-growing non-profit with more than 40 volunteers, 400 donors, and 4 partner organizations, Sanlaap North America has reached over 4,000 people around the world to date.