Desperate Girls

The Badi Girls

Between 7,000 and 12,000 young girls, aged 9-16, are trafficked each year from Nepal; mainly to India. According to Nepal Monitor/On line journal, 2007, there are more than 200,000 Nepali girls in Indian brothels.

The Dalits(untouchables) are the lowest level in Hindu society, and the Badi community, in Western Nepal, are the lowest of the low. As a displaced hungry people group the Badi community has made sexual subservience a way of life. Young girls from this group “serve” other groups. This has become a tradition and means of livelihood. Many girls, even when they are unwilling, are forced to serve as sex slaves. Family members knowingly sell their daughters to traffickers.

Though prostitution is illegal in Nepal, the industry reportedly has links with highly ranked officials and political leaders. Large groups of girls are taken across the border with many police and government officials being in collusion with traffickers and brothel owners.

Traffickers and related criminals are often protected by political parties, and if arrested, are freed using political power. As a result, there is an underlying distrust of police that has led people not to file cases against traffickers.

Domestic action involves activities of NGO’s and other volunteer groups. These groups are playing a major role to address girl-trafficking and sex slaves issues. Some NGO’s are playing a very important role to improve the situation. From creating social awareness to rescuing and rehabilitation, they are providing services (and relief) to those that need it the most – the likely victims as well as the rescued ones. The Lighthouse foundation is one of these.

*See Chandra Kala’s story on this blog site.

Sunday 25 March 2012

Saturday/Church full throttle

Saturday is church day here as it is like our Sunday.  Church at 9a.m. till 11a.m.  This month is especially geared to young people.  Raju is teaching through a series  Today was the church's core values.  It was loud and absolutely packed to the doors.  That is only the first service.  This afternoon, we all went  to Tusal again.  They are so organised.  They had had lunch and were all waiting paitiently in the assembly room.  We were entertained with their beautiful singing and dancing as usual.  Then we sang some actions songs with them which they really enjoyed.  There are ten new girls there.  I took one little girl shopping for a pair of jeans and a tee shirt with money from her sponsor.  She had a great time.  Everything pink an blingy.  Prashamsa, the young woman from the village with two children who had been begging to come in to the hostel, was at church this morning.  She had an appendix operation recently, that was very kindly funded by some Aussies, and she was so grateful. She clung on to me all morning like a little child.  Her eyes welled with tears as we were leaving.  The wonderful news is that she is in the Bible school for the next 5 months.  What a difference her sponsorship has made in her life.  Christ has set her free and her sponsor has made it possible for a wonderful future.                    

Robyn
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)