My journey from being a child labourer to becoming a Kung Fu champion!

"My name is Payal* – a few years ago, I couldn’t even have imagined that my life would take such an amazing turn!

I was born in Songachi, one of Asia’s largest red light districts. As the daughter of a sex worker, people would call me names and expect me to get into the sex trade as well. It made me feel really bad – as if my dreams had no value. I had to drop out of school to become a child labourer when I was only 15 years old because that was the only way I could support my family without getting into prostitution.

Also Read: Causes of child labour

I would have given up on the idea of building a brighter future for myself if my mother hadn’t taken me to CRY project SANLAAP. The CRY team counseled me and my mother on how it was important for me to finish my education and that’s when I decided to leave my job and go back to school. I did really well in school and got admission at EDUSOL to study hotel management and also discovered my talent for Kung Fu! Last year, I won a gold medal at the National Kung Fu Championship in Guwahati!

I’ve made myself and my family so proud and I couldn’t be happier! So many people are telling me that I am an inspiration for other children like me. Today, I dream of flying high and touching the sky!"

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*name changed to protect the child's identity