Zach Leighton

Renu Devi is proof that change is possible, even after generations of bondage in India.

Renu was 17 when she married and began her life of forced labor. Her husband was part of the Kamiya system—a form of caste-based, generational debt bondage. For four generations his family was enslaved and exploited for agricultural labor, with no hope of repaying the debt. Renu was now part of that cycle. Renu and […]

Renu Devi is proof that change is possible, even after generations of bondage in India. Read More »

Duck Farming: A Community of Survivors Venture Into Financial Freedom

Thirteen families, freed from bonded labor, have discovered sustainable financial freedom in their community.  These families were previously enslaved in brick kilns, but since being freed, they have struggled to break the cycle of poverty. The local Justice Hub team spent time with these survivors to understand their needs and what type of business would

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Forty-Three Returned to Their Villages After Two Years of Enslavement

In northern India, many people are driven to take out loans for basic needs because of extreme poverty.  Eight families (forty-three people in total), desperate for help, requested loans to provide food for their children. They did not know at the time that the individual who handled their loans was involved in the trafficking business. 

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At a young age, Ali became one of nearly 12 million children in India forced into child labor.

Ali’s father abandoned him when he was just a boy. With his family struggling to survive, Ali left school at age 14 to work in his village. His family’s situation grew dire when floods ravaged their home, causing them to rebuild twice. Unable to bear the expenses, Ali’s mother accepted a high-interest loan from her

At a young age, Ali became one of nearly 12 million children in India forced into child labor. Read More »

Like many young girls growing up in poor villages in Nepal, Amala was vulnerable to trafficking.

Her family had few economic options. At age 11 she was pulled out of school to contribute to their expenses. She met a man who promised her a job and persuaded her to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal. Instead, she was taken into India by a trafficker and sold to a brothel in Kolkata. Amala was

Like many young girls growing up in poor villages in Nepal, Amala was vulnerable to trafficking. Read More »