IJM Mumbai Trains More than 10K Officials in 2015

IJM Mumbai staff are celebrating a major milestone this December with the completion of trainings for more than 10,000 police officers, social workers and prosecutors throughout 2015. Sanjay Macwan, IJM Mumbai’s Field Office Director, says the majority of his staff haven’t taken a single day off work this year because they were so committed to achieving the goal together.

'Training 10,000 officers in one year was not easy,' says Sanjay Macwan. 'But it’s going to change the entire game of combating human trafficking in the city and in the state and therefore in India.'

To date this year, IJM Mumbai staff have conducted 120 training events throughout western India, resulting in 10,350 officials trained. The one-day trainings covered a variety of topics, including how to properly conduct rescue operations, how to file official reports, how to collect evidence and more.

In this recorded interview, Macwan shares the story of a 15-year-old girl who was drug and sex trafficked. He says police were able to rescue her because of the trainings provided by IJM.

'It was a miraculous rescue operation,' says Macwan. 'Eleven traffickers were arrested, including two law enforcement officials.'

Macwan says participant surveys were conducted following each of the trainings and the results showed that 98% of attendees found the trainings made a significant difference. Police officers, in particular, found the case studies extremely helpful in that they provided hands-on training in how to conduct investigations and get legal documentation for convictions.

'We’re trying to make sure that whatever we’re teaching that they learn it and that they’re able to share it with others,' said Macwan. 'It’s just amazing to see police officers getting excited by what we share with them.'

This Christmas, Macwan says his team is looking forward to finally taking some much needed time off, however he says they have big goals ahead in 2016. By this time next year, Macwan says he hopes to finally announce the official end of trafficking of minors in in Mumbai.

'We will work very, very closely in the 200-year-old red light district of Mumbai, and our desire is that we are going to rescue every single minor girl who has been trafficked in that district,' said Macwan. 'In one year’s time, we want to declare the district a zero trafficking zone—making sure that no more trafficking of minors happens in this district.'