4th September 2021 marked the official launch of my Beauty With A Purpose (BWAP) project 1098. I feel grateful and honoured to have commenced my project on a great platform in association with the Hyderabad City Police.

I hail from Hyderabad, Telangana, India’s newest state, which is one of the few states in India with a dedicated department for the holistic development of women and children. Every year, part of the Women Development and Child Welfare’s (WCDW) mission involves identifying and rescuing children in distress. And today, while the internet has become a medium for abusing children, Bharosa, a support centre for women and children in distress, has played a vital role in attaining conviction in 86 cases.

While my BWAP project aims to prevent and stop child abuse, I joined the Hyderabad City Police, and Bharosa Support Centre for Women and Child campaign against child sexual abuse as the end-goal remains the same - the safety and security of children.

Through my project 10-9-8, I aim to promote and create awareness about 1098, the Child Helpline number and address various other challenges. 10-9-8 is a national hotline for Child Protection, which unfortunately has low public awareness. As a spokesperson for the campaign, I have been using social media, news, TV, and billboards to create awareness. Bringing in expertise and the skills of some of the country’s most able child rescue experts was also vital, and a series of interviews and podcasts helped create awareness and the reach of the program. In addition, I was able to record my message, which will be played at 66 traffic signal junctions in my home state.

With a vision to ensure the highest levels of safety, access, rapid response, and awareness on child issues reach every abandoned child of the Telangana state, I have dedicated my time and effort to the cause I hold very close to my heart! Once again, I would like to thank Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar and Senior IPS officer Shikha Goel for their time and continued support of my initiative.