Missing Link Trust
MISSING is an organization focussed on prevention of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking through education in schools, and empowerment.
- FCRA
- 80G
- 12A
- CSR-1
About
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Headquarters
Kolkata, West Bengal
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Since
2015
MISSING Link Trust (henceforth referred to as MISSING) raising awareness among adolescents to prevent child abuse, exploitation and reduce drop in aca Read moredemics in West Bengal through education. Our strategy is that education of vulnerable youth will help raise girl champions who are aware of their rights, as Education and Child Safety are mutually inclusive. As Girl children become more aware about safety and abuse, they are more committed to completing their education. As the school dropout rates reduce, it leads to the following – Girls completing their education Increasing Agency Delaying age of marriage Delaying 1st pregnancy Introduction & Background MISSING is an anti-trafficking organization focussed on prevention of sex trafficking. We work to prevent child sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking through awareness, education and empowerment. We raise awareness through education and empowerment, and fall under the ambit of Education, Special Education and Gender Equality. We are an award-winning organization, having won the Thomson Reuters award in 2021, and the NASSCOM Social Innovation Catalyst award in 2022. MISSING’s Education program is two pronged: it enables the vulnerable adolescents to become more knowledgeable, get better tuned to the changing online world and creates awareness about sex abuse and exploitation. It gives them the agency to keep themselves safe and sensitizes them on their role as future citizens to prevent it. Our Mission - Innovate. Educate. Empower Our mission is to combine art and technology in creating mass awareness amongst the public, through innovative ways, leading to prevention of sex trafficking. Safe through education using innovative methodology through curriculum and art, for efficacy and Impact. The purpose of this project is to keep children safe by educating them through our Missing Awareness and Safety School program [MaSSp], and thereby prevent sex abuse, exploitation and trafficking amongst the most vulnerable and at-risk youngsters, with a focus on West Bengal. Our Vision Our Vision is a world where every girl is safe from sex trafficking.
Issue
Sex trafficking affects a staggering number of people worldwide, with an estimated 40.3 million victims, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). This illegal industry generates billions of dollars in profits each year. In India, there are approximately 253 million adolescent girls, and it is crucial to raise awareness among them about keeping themselves safe. Disturbingly, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2007 revealed that 53% of children in India, or one in every two children, have experienced sexual abuse. West Bengal, located in eastern India, serves as a source, transit, and destination area for trafficking, accounting for 44% of reported cases. The state shares borders with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and five Indian states: Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Assam. Geographically, West Bengal is divided into 30 districts, with the largest being 24 South Parganas. Women and children, particularly from marginalized communities, are disproportionately affected by trafficking in this region. Education is crucial for the growth and development of children. However, the safety and security of children play a significant role in their ability to complete their education, affecting dropout rates. The prevailing poverty and deeply entrenched patriarchal mindset in society make girls especially vulnerable to abuse. Some of the ground realities are: ● Teenage pregnancy as early as 13 ● Teenage Elopement ● Child marriage as soon as girl starts menstruating ● High rate of Emergency Contraception consumption [5-6 cases per day per village] ● Steep increase in suicide attempts using pesticides. The WHO Report on “What works to prevent online violence against children?”, published in 2022, says that educational programmes play a key role in prevention of violence against children. Quoting from the report, “Educational programmes have been widely shown to increase safety and health in general. They are successful at preventing violence against children overall, and they are effective for preventing one form of online VAC in particular – cyberbullying (both victimization and perpetration).” The report also mentions that the intervention needs to be structured with varied learning techniques, repeated exposure and peer engagement. Our Missing Awareness and Safety School Programme (MASSp) follows exactly this. MASSp is a first-of-its-kind program that is designed to address personal safety and empowerment needs of adolescents. The core focus of the program is to prevent child abuse, exploitation and reduce drop in academics among adolescents in West Bengal, Kolkata through innovative digital teaching and learning methods. It uses compelling narratives, art, games and technology for an immersive experiential learning. It also builds assertiveness, self-efficacy, resistance to peer pressure as well as problem solving skills which are seen as primary skills by WHO in prevention of violence against children.
Action
Missing plans to tackle the pervasive issues of child abuse, exploitation, and trafficking by implementing its Missing Awareness and Safety School Program (MASSp). This unique program is designed to empower vulnerable adolescents, with a special focus on girls, in the state of West Bengal, India. Through innovative educational methods such as engaging animated videos, interactive activities, games, comics, and puzzles, MASSp imparts knowledge about child safety, online threats, and children's rights. It instills a sense of agency in these adolescents, enabling them to protect themselves and others. By following the WHO's recommendations for educational programs to prevent violence against children, particularly cyberbullying, MASSp aims to reduce school dropout rates, teenage pregnancies, child marriages, and early sexual encounters. Moreover, it fosters awareness, agency, and a safer environment for children in West Bengal, ultimately contributing to the prevention of child exploitation and trafficking. Collaborating with government bodies, NGOs, and other stakeholders, Missing ensures the sustainability and scalability of this impactful initiative.
Impact
Empowering Vulnerable Adolescents: The program equips vulnerable adolescents, both boys and girls, with knowledge and skills to protect themselves and others from child abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. By providing them with essential life skills, it enhances their ability to make informed decisions and lead safer lives. Focusing on Girls' Empowerment: The program places special emphasis on girls because they are often at a higher risk of abuse and exploitation. By educating and empowering girls, it aims to delay early marriages, reduce teenage pregnancies, and mitigate other vulnerabilities they may face, ultimately fostering their overall development and well-being. Engaging School-Going Children: The primary beneficiaries of the program are school-going children, typically in grades VIII to XII, who attend government schools in West Bengal. By integrating these interventions into the education system, the program ensures that vulnerable adolescents have access to essential knowledge and support while pursuing their education. Supporting Marginalized Communities: The program's key focus is on vulnerable adolescents from marginalized communities who face heightened risks due to socio-economic factors. By targeting these communities, the program aims to reduce disparities and provide support where it is most needed. Community-Wide Impact: While the immediate beneficiaries are the vulnerable adolescents, the program's impact extends to the broader community. It raises awareness about critical issues such as child marriage, unsafe sexual behavior, and mental health. By addressing these issues, the program contributes to the betterment of society as a whole, promoting safer, healthier, and more informed communities.
Programs
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Web of Deceit: Interactive Digital Comic - A Missing and Trafficking Case File
StateWeb of Deceit is a joint venture between Missing Link Trust and International Justice Mission. It aims to demonstrate how crimes, in specific against women and children may be reported; and depicts how prosecution of a trafficker/exploiter takes place. It has been created as a tool to make the community aware of the dynamic nature of sex trafficking.
The aim is that this comic will also act as a trust-building mechanism for citizens who are sceptical of reporting cases – a fundamental step towards increasing the reportage of crimes. The comic, furthermore, has the potential to highlight the different perspectives of the various stakeholders in the issue of sex-trafficking.
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Missing Awareness and Safety School program [MASSP]
StateMASSp is a first-of-its-kind program that is designed to address personal safety and empowerment needs of adolescents. The core focus of the program is to prevent child abuse, exploitation and reduce drop in academics among adolescents in West Bengal, Kolkata through innovative digital teaching and learning methods. It uses compelling narratives, art, games and technology for an immersive experiential learning. It also builds assertiveness, self-efficacy, resistance to peer pressure as well as problem solving skills which are seen as primary skills by WHO in prevention of violence against children.
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Women empowerment
The Missing Link Trust creates a sustainable livelihood opportunity for the survivors, vulnerable women and girls in Sunderbans, South 24 Parganas district, one of India’s highest trafficking areas. The Women Empowerment Centre (WEC), with its various awareness and empowerment programs, serves the needs of the local community in health, livelihood, education, and public service delivery.
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Stencil Project
StateThe stencil is a powerful means for engaging the public and providing ownership in the campaign to end demand. Each person who creates a stencil becomes a spokesperson for the Missing Link Trust, making it an inclusive and open campaign.
The silhouette of a young girl symbolizes a black hole into which millions of girls disappear from the face of the earth. She is a constant reminder and a remembrance of the millions of girls who have been lost. This stencil artwork also shares important information that the number 1098 is the pan-India Childline helpline for children gone missing.
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Mural Walk
StateThe Missing mural walk is a multi-city art project. This initiative aims to start a dialogue with urban India about the dark world of trafficking (the public is the biggest stakeholder in this issue).
Each city has its own set of murals and chatbot narrative. The murals invite viewers to talk to the artwork via a facebook chatbot. The project builds hard-hitting narratives on the current conversation around sexual violence due to structural and normative gender inequalities in the social fabric.
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Missing:Game for a cause
StateThe award winning MISSING Game For A Cause is a role-playing game designed to put players in the decision-making seat to experience what a ‘missing girl’ goes through when she is trafficked into the cruel world of prostitution; a world into which millions of girls are lost every year.
It is a first of its kind in leveraging technology in a unique way to bring about long-lasting social change. Available for free on iOS and Android in 12 vernacular languages and 6 international languages, the game has a potential reach of every corner of India and millions in all parts of the world, where other traditional means of awareness generation cannot penetrate with ease.
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MISSING: The Complete Saga
StateIt is a reality-based role-playing game set in a rural Indian village in the Sunderbans. The Sundarbans is a low lying area in East-India, it is extremely remote and impoverished and a hotbed of trafficking. In this stimulating experience you are taken through the journey of a young, impoverished girl named Devi. Her circumstances at first seem tragic but it all depends on the choices you make. With her brave and courageous spirit she is all set to fight her dreary destiny, break the chains of human trafficking and at last find her own place in the world.
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Missing Podcast
StateThe organization leverages the medium of podcasting to share stories, insights, and information related to sex trafficking, online and offline safety, and related issues. Podcasts are an accessible and engaging way to reach a wider audience.
Demographics & Structure
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No. of Employees
21-50
M&E
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Internal, External Assessors
No
Policies
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Ethics and Transparency Policies
No
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Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy
No
Political & Religious Declarations
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On Affiliation if any
No
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On Deployment Bias if any
No
Registration Details
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PAN Card
AAETM2535J
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Registration ID
191006508124
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12A
AAETM2535JE20210
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80G
AAETM2535JF20211
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FCRA
147121100
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CSR Registration Number
CSR00002525
Location
Other Details
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Type & Sub Type
Non-profit
Trust
Financial Details
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2020-21
IncomeRs.3,074,195ExpensesRs.3,246,756Admin ExpensesRs.1,014,510Program ExpensesRs.2,232,246Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it. -
2021-22
IncomeRs.15,160,763ExpensesRs.9,168,363Admin ExpensesRs.1,992,034Program ExpensesRs.7,176,329Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it. -
2022-23
IncomeRs.7,949,801ExpensesRs.10,152,097Admin ExpensesRs.2,614,947Program ExpensesRs.7,537,150Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it.