In 2011, Miguel Queah founded UTSAH (Universal Team for Social Action and Help) in Guwahati, Assam, with a vision to combat the deeply entrenched issue of child sexual violence in Northeast India. The organisation’s name, derived from the Assamese word meaning “inspiration,” reflects its mission to uplift and protect children, addressing critical issues of violence that were often ignored or stigmatised.
Speaking about the challenges during UTSAH’s early years, Miguel recounted the uphill battle of creating awareness about child sexual abuse in communities where education and healthcare took precedence over discussing sensitive topics like violence. “When we travelled across communities in Assam, no one wanted to talk about the critical issue of violence, especially sexual violence against children,” he shared. Adding to this was the difficulty in securing funding for such programmes. “For the first six years, finding reliable funders was one of the biggest challenges,” Miguel added.
UTSAH operates two parallel programmes to address child sexual violence.
The Child Support Programme focuses on prevention through education. “We believe that children need to be aware of the issue of sexual violence. We travel from community to community, educating children and their communities about how to identify and address child sexual abuse,” Miguel explained.
The second programme provides direct support to victims of child sexual abuse, offering legal, psychological, and social services. A dedicated team of counsellors, social workers, and lawyers collaborates to ensure victims receive the entitlements guaranteed by law and navigate the complex justice system effectively.
Recognising the critical role of police in child protection, UTSAH co-created the Assam Police Shishu Mitra Programme, India’s first and largest child-friendly policing initiative. Designed to foster empathy and compassion among first responders, this programme has institutionalised child-friendly practices within Assam’s law enforcement system.
“Convincing the police to partner with us was no easy task. There was a lot of suspicion initially. It took sustained dialogues with police leadership across districts and the state to highlight the need to prioritise violence against children,” Miguel said.
The programme trains police officers in a child-sensitive approach to investigations, ensuring better quality chargesheets and faster case processing times. As a result, Miguel noted, there has been a significant increase in the reporting of child sexual abuse cases, reflecting growing community trust in the justice system.
Despite the progress, Miguel acknowledges the gap between India’s progressive child protection laws and their implementation. UTSAH’s ultimate goal is to support the state in creating self-sustaining systems for addressing child sexual abuse.
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“We are a welfare state with some of the world’s most progressive laws and policies. However, implementation is where we fall short. We want to help strengthen the state’s mechanisms to provide services and justice for children independently,” Miguel concluded.
Through community education, direct victim support, and institutional partnerships like the Shishu Mitra Programme, UTSAH is paving the way for a safer future for children in Northeast India. Under Miguel’s leadership, the organisation continues to break taboos and empower communities to confront and overcome the issue of child sexual violence.
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