Although each girl’s path to restoration is different, the goal remains the same: to see each girl re-enter mainstream society with sufficient mental health to manage independent living through gainful employment and/or marriage. New Horizons’ holistic aftercare program includes 5 key components including:
Local police partner with NGOs to rescue and transport minor girls (those under the age of 18) to a government holding facility for processing. After being processed, a girl will either be placed in a government-approved after-care facility (like NHH), repatriated to her family of origin (if deemed to be safe) or, in some cases, simply released back on to the streets.
The Indian Child Welfare Committee (CWC) assigns legal guardianship of girls aged 12-18 to NHH and transfers them to the residential aftercare facility located on our main campus in the village of Podu.
Upon arrival at our main campus, each girl undergoes a formal intake process which includes:
An individual treatment program is subsequently developed for each girl in consultation with the house mothers, nursing staff and counselors. A treatment program will typically include the following elements:
Once a girl turns 18 the CWC mandates that they move out of the dormitory located on our main campus. Girls who are interested in pursuing a college degree, additional vocational training and/or participating in a formal internship program may have the option of moving into New Horizons’ Transition House (TH) for up to 3 years. The TH, opened in 2021, is located in the City of Bhimavaram, approximately 40 minutes from our main campus in Podu. The TH has less direct supervision and structure than the after care facility they came from but provides a safe living environment where the girls take on more responsibility for their own care and have greater interaction with the local community. A House Mother resides with the girls in the TH and therapy and/or medical care continues to be provided as needed.
Holistic restoration is a journey to independence and a sustainable future.
According to a recent (2019) UNICEF report, girls in rural India are 3 times more likely to not attend school compared to their male counterparts. The report highlights various barriers to girls’ education, including: “poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, and gender biases.” The girls who are served by New Horizons typically come from illiterate, lower-caste families and have had very little access to school prior to their arrival. Our girls face additional stigmatization due to the fact that they have been trafficked and/or sexually abused.
Our aftercare program is comprehensive in scope and tailored for the individual girl’s needs. While our younger girls are typically focused on literacy and primary education, New Horizons’ Transition House allows older girls to pursue a university degree and set realistic employment goals commensurate with their interests, abilities, skills and education. Girls who want to start their own small business are able to enroll in an entrepreneurial training program. We also teach basic life skills (i.e., health & hygiene, nutrition, grocery shopping, cooking, transportation, banking, budgeting, conflict management, etc.) so that the girls have the skills they need to thrive. Our staff works together to provide a loving and caring community where the girls have the space to play as children should, connect with others who have shared experiences and rediscover themselves.