On 1st August, 2025, Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) observed the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons by convening a District-Level Convergence Meeting at Basirhat, North 24 Parganas. The event was organised with the invaluable support of the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR), the District Administration of North 24 Parganas, the District Social Welfare Office (DSWO), the District Child Protection Office (DCPO), Border Security Force (BSF), the Superintendent of Police (SP) Office, law enforcement agencies, and the local Panchayat.

Guided by the global theme “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation”, the programme served as a critical platform for collective reflection and collaborative strategising to combat trafficking and child marriage — two deep-rooted issues affecting the region's most vulnerable populations.

Government officials, law enforcement authorities, frontline workers, civil society organisations, and grassroots leaders came together to engage in dialogue on the prevalence, patterns, and urgent need for convergence in preventing trafficking and protecting at-risk children.

A deeply inspiring highlight of the programme was the session where Child Leaders, nurtured through years of sustained engagement with KMWSC’s anti-trafficking initiatives, took the stage. They courageously shared their personal stories, community interventions, and ongoing work in peer support and awareness — turning their lived experiences into powerful advocacy tools.

Their voices, filled with strength and resolve, reminded every stakeholder present of the pressing need to continue this joint mission with urgency and compassion.

“When communities unite, traffickers lose. Together, we are the voice that breaks the silence.”

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