Twenty-two-year-old African footballer, Yinkita Kone, was stranded for three years in India, unable to buy a ticket to return to his native land. He was apprehended by officials for visa overstay in Kolkata. He was imposed with a hefty fine penalty and asked to leave India immediately or serve prison time. As the fear of a five-year jail term for visa overstay loomed large, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) stepped forward to help the African footballer. CHRI started a unique crowd funding initiative and managed to collect money in just three days to buy his flight ticket back home. Kone is now back with his family in Ivory Coast. In a video message, he said, he was, ‘thankful to CHRI and Madhurima Dhanuka', who had led the effort to get him home, 'and to the people who contributed generously.' Listen to the video message:
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