Good Sports: HELPING SURVIVORS OF CHILD LABOR
Eight years ago, two siblings from Vienna, Virginia, traveled to India to volunteer at Bal Ashram, an orphanage in Jaipur. They noticed that many of the children were afraid to talk to them. It was only later that the siblings, Medhnaa and Kushaan Saran, learned that the children were survivors of human trafficking and child labor.
Touched by the children’s plight, Medhnaa, now 15, and Kushaan, 14, began collecting donations for them, including clothing and sports equipment. In 2016, Medhnaa and Kushaan founded the Touch of Life Foundation, which helps raise awareness about child labor and trafficking, and organizes fundraisers to benefit the children at Bal Ashram orphanage.
“Trafficking is so detrimental because it causes a lot of mental and physical trauma, so that’s why it is so important that people know the signs and the risks involved,” Medhnaa told The Vienna Connection.
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
[Comments? Contributions? We would love to hear from you about Chai Time. If you have contributions, please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]
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