JAAGO

At JAAGO, we believe every child deserves a future beyond the circumstances they are born into. In India, up to 90% of children of sex workers are pushed into the same trade — a devastating cycle known as second-generation prostitution. In red-light areas like Calcutta’s Sonagachi, studies reveal that nearly 90% of girls are at high risk of being trafficked or coerced into sex work, often as early as age 13. But the impact isn’t limited to girls. Boys, often overlooked, are drawn into the same system — not as victims, but as participants, sometimes becoming facilitators of the trade. Growing up surrounded by normalized abuse, crime, and exploitation, they too lose their right to a childhood — and a choice. This cycle persists because of poverty, illiteracy, societal stigma, and a lack of systemic support. At Jaago, we break the cycle where it begins: in early childhood. Through access to education, psychological support, and empowerment, we help children reclaim their futures — creating long-term, generational change. This isn’t just social work. It’s rewriting the story — one child, one future at a time.