Pranaadhika Sinha with the volunteers of her youth group Elaan. A Telegraph picture

Pranaadhika Sinha is a girl on a mission ? to protect children from sexual abuse and to help victims who were once abused. But when it comes to adult support, she is often up against a solid brick wall.

A victim herself, she?s now a crusader with a youth group of about 20 volunteers, including seven on the core committee. ?The mother of one of the volunteers rings me every time I send him a message about meetings to tell me to ?stay away from my son, he?s not like you?. I get threat calls from other parents. Some of the volunteers want to remain anonymous because their parents don?t approve,? rues Pranaadhika.

Eight months into its efforts, the group has not just changed its name from Right Now Kolkata to Elaan ? ?it means announcement in Hindi and minus one ?a?, it means style in English, so it?s a perfect name?. The group has also modified its mission.

Starting Saturday, the volunteers will be working with students to create awareness on child sexual abuse and incest. On April 2, a bunch of about 20 students from a girl?s college will drop in to Pranaadhika?s home to watch Grace Poore?s The Children We Sacrifice, make posters, have a discussion and share their thoughts.

But the efforts of Pranaadhika and her friends haven?t been without hiccups. ?Some colleges and schools flatly refused to let us talk to their students about this issue. Other principals, particularly of girls? colleges, were very keen. We kept going because the students we informally asked were very interested,? says the 18-year-old.

The aim of the group is to step up its work and make it more youth-friendly. So, films like Page 3, Monsoon Wedding and even Girlfriend (to show how lack of understanding and awareness can lead to misconceptions) will be screened at workshops. ?We are also creating a referral base by associating with NGOs like Thoughtshop Foundation and Lifeline. In fact, we are also in the Youth Awards for Social Awareness HIV/AIDS project of Thoughtshop,? she adds.

Pranaadhika is also in touch with Saathi and Sappho, with the purpose of helping homosexuals and lesbians in future, through Elaan. Besides, Harsh Aditya Poddar, the designated legal expert of the team and a law student of NUJS, is diligently working on the legal aspects in terms of changing the law to help victims of child sexual abuse.

The group?s website, www.rightnowkolkata.org, is functional, too. ?We?re just fixing the message board and I?m revising two essays I wrote. I?ve received 40 emails, 20 from people wanting to join the group and six who need counselling. I end up doing a lot of counselling,? Pranaadhika signs off with a smile.