GUNTUR: A girl who went missing 11 years ago has finally been reunited with her family. Thanks to the efforts of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) department officials.29-year-old Pramila, a native of Jenneduguda village in Srikakulam district, had come to work at a shrimp factory in Kakinada 11 years ago.
While living there, Pramila along with her two co-workers came to visit Tenali. But while returning, she couldn’t board the right train and got lost. The police rescued her and shifted her to JMJ Swadhar’s house in Tenali. Though Pramila tried to leave the place, she couldn’t as she was unable to contact her parents. With years passing by, she lost hope and continued living in Tenali. She learnt tailoring and jute bag making to make her ends meet.
Meanwhile, distraught Pramila’s family has also been searching for her relentlessly for years. Though her parents visited Tenali and Guntur to find any clue about Pramila, unaware of Swadhar house, they left empty handed. Recently, when ICDS project director Manoranjani went to visit the home while interacting with the women in the home, Pramila explained her situation and urged her to collect details about her parents. With the help of Sakhi volunteers, the officials started searching for Pramila’s family members and were able to trace her elder brother Kurma Rao in Sitampet through local ICDS officials.
Manoranjani said, we started interactive sessions in order to identify the issues of children and women staying in Swadhar houses. It is during this time that we learnt about Pramila’s situation, we sent all the details to local ICDS officials. “After learning that her brother is living in Sitampet, the village secretariat volunteer identified him. We conducted a thorough background check with the help of local police to make sure they are her true relatives. Following which, we sent the woman with her brother.”
Expressing her contentment for being able to reunite the woman with her family, she said, it was comforting to see Pramila meeting her brother after several years.She went to her village Jenneduguda to her parents on Wednesday, she added.