Guria is a grassroots charity based in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, led by Ajeet Singh and Santwana Manju. Guria's mission is:
To end human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children
Over the past 29 years Guria have succeeded in making Varanasi the first city in India to have a red-light area free of the commercial sexual exploitation of children. They have rescued over 2,500 people from slavery, and are currently fighting nearly 3,000 legal cases against perpetrators of human trafficking. They have won awards, including the prestigious Nari Shakti Award, CNN/IBN 'Real Heroes Award' and The Week Magazine’s 'Man of the Year' Award.
Guria's work is never finished. An estimated 40% of 'sex workers' in India are children, which equates to 1.2 million children currently being trapped in commercial sexual exploitation. The issue is acute in eastern Uttar Pradesh as this is one of the poorest parts of the world. A combination of poverty and endemic corruption, along with the location and transport links make Varanasi a hub for human trafficking. Guria is here to end this.
“It is because of Singh's efforts that Shivadspur* has become the country's first child prostitution-free area.” (The Week)
*red-light area of Varanasi
Guria UK
Guria are a frontline charity who dedicate their time to fighting human trafficking, responding to urgent situations. As such the charity have little time to raise awareness or support for their work and operate with minimal resources. Guria UK is a small volunteer run charity which helps raise support and funds for Guria's work in India.
