Today is Tuesday, but I need to go back. Our internet let us down again just before we left Kathmandu, so we couldn't write. Last Sunday, I had my introductory class to the women who will be looking after the abandoned babies. 14 turned up. Mostly young. Two have children of their own. We all had a good time together and our official classes begin next Sunday. Margaret started her classes with the cooking and had 20 girls. Stoves, equipment, etc. have all been purchased and everything is set to go. Also a generator for the Tusal hostel, where the classes are.
Monday 10th, we flew out of Kathmandu , 600 km. to the west. We had a travelling companion, Binod.He is a Maoist politician, who has been campaigning for the Badi people to 20 years. He is from the Dalit caste (untouchable) himself, and was involved in the revolution. He is also a journalist. He is such a lovely man and is passionate about helping the Badi women. We arrived in Nepalgunj in the morning. It is a horrible town. Near the Indian border, oppressively hot, spindly donkeys dragging carts along, equally spindly rickshaw drivers sweating as they peddle their way along the street with passengers in tow. The chaos is shared by buffalos, dogs, goats and all manner of strange vehicles. We headed out to see a Badi village that Binod wanted us to see. On the way we stopped for lunch. There was no way any of us were going to eat there. A squalid row of buildings out in the country. Grahame did brave it and have rice and dahl but the rest of us decided that a packet of chips would suffice. Upon opening the chips, we were surprised how stale they were as the pack was sealed until we read that the expiry date was 2003. They must have been hanging up in the sun in front of that little shop for years.
We finally arrived at our village. A small cluster of little shacks with straw roofs and mud walls. There was a little area covered with a few sheets of iron were we had our little meeting. Binod and another Badi lady Rama, spoke to the villagers. The women were there with their bright saris and snotty children and the men also. There was a noticeable absence of girls from 10-20. They were all away being trafficked. Out of 800 people in this group of people , 300 are in the sex trade There was a journalist there taking photos and getting his story. The article was in the paper this morning, and it was positive about our involvement in rescuing the girls.
Monday 10th, we flew out of Kathmandu , 600 km. to the west. We had a travelling companion, Binod.He is a Maoist politician, who has been campaigning for the Badi people to 20 years. He is from the Dalit caste (untouchable) himself, and was involved in the revolution. He is also a journalist. He is such a lovely man and is passionate about helping the Badi women. We arrived in Nepalgunj in the morning. It is a horrible town. Near the Indian border, oppressively hot, spindly donkeys dragging carts along, equally spindly rickshaw drivers sweating as they peddle their way along the street with passengers in tow. The chaos is shared by buffalos, dogs, goats and all manner of strange vehicles. We headed out to see a Badi village that Binod wanted us to see. On the way we stopped for lunch. There was no way any of us were going to eat there. A squalid row of buildings out in the country. Grahame did brave it and have rice and dahl but the rest of us decided that a packet of chips would suffice. Upon opening the chips, we were surprised how stale they were as the pack was sealed until we read that the expiry date was 2003. They must have been hanging up in the sun in front of that little shop for years.
We finally arrived at our village. A small cluster of little shacks with straw roofs and mud walls. There was a little area covered with a few sheets of iron were we had our little meeting. Binod and another Badi lady Rama, spoke to the villagers. The women were there with their bright saris and snotty children and the men also. There was a noticeable absence of girls from 10-20. They were all away being trafficked. Out of 800 people in this group of people , 300 are in the sex trade There was a journalist there taking photos and getting his story. The article was in the paper this morning, and it was positive about our involvement in rescuing the girls.
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