Back in 2005 when Hatti Trading was born, the current production centre started as an experimental income generation scheme for girls rescued from trafficking by The Esther Benjamins Trust, an extension of the skills training project.

The aim of the skills training project was to help the older girls get back on their feet and gain an independent life, however, it soon became evident that securing jobs for the returnees was virtually impossible due to the social stigma associated with being trafficked. So, instead of trying to secure outside employment, we created employment opportunities and set up a handbag production centre under Fair Trade conditions to provide a realistic economic alternative to being retrafficked.

After 2 years, the production centre had proven a success, it was providing a route to reintegration for the girls through jobs and an income and the production centre itself was well on the way to becoming financially self- sufficient, so it was the right time for the Centre to become fully independent.

In June 2007, we took on responsibility for the production centre and set up an independent private, but not for profit, company called Hatti Production Pvt Ltd.

We still work in exactly the same way, we provide training and jobs for young women rescued by The Esther Benjamins Trust and the charity is still close on hand to look out for the girls’ welfare, but the production centre is now an independent entity.

What we didn’t appreciate at the time was the impact it would have on the girls who worked there; suddenly, they transitioned from being ‘charity cases’ to independent professional young women working for a foreign organisation. Their self esteem went through the roof; finally they could hold their head up high when asked what they do. At the same time we moved to new premises so the locals had no knowledge of what they had come from, and the girls could at last truly move on from their past.

As we begin 2008, we are looking to move premises again - not because their past has caught up with them, but because within 8 months, we have expanded so much we have outgrown the current accommodation. We started with 8 girls, we now have 17, plus Ritu, the Production Centre Manager, Shanti, the House Mother and two security guards. Some girls are now living with relatives locally and we have even had a wedding recently. The main difference now is that the girls are empowered to make their own choices and have the confidence to do so.