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.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Wednesday, School photos

Yesterday, we spent the whole day at the school, Katie taking photos of our sponsored girls while I kept records.  It was totally chaotic but seeing those girls all "spiffy" in their uniforms and comparing the girls in the Slum Village; what a huge leap.  Then Katie took class photos and teacher photos.  Everything takes 10 times longer then at home.  The bus broke down on the  way, so about 80 kids followed us down the street,  I felt like the Pied Piper .  But they just hold hands with us and look up with big brown eyes and big smiles and practice a few words.  Marijuana  grows like a hedge along the roadside, so that is interesting.  Last night, Raju took us out to dinner at a nice place and we had a nice steak.  Tonight's tea will be red meat, only buffalo instead of beef.  Don't say "yuk".  In the pressure cooker it is quite fine. Today, being Thursday, I am collecting another two team members from the Airport, Agnes has been training some teachers in our lounge room, Trish and Barry are at school all day, Margaret has her cooking class this afternoon(though she is quite unwell), I've been washing all morning and have to do the shopping after the airport pick-up.  We all fall into bed exhausted each night from days of frustration, joy, being on the go constantly in all different directions and Nepalese time drives us crazy.  But we love it anyway.  Last Tuesday, we spent all day at all the hostels (5) photographing the girls.  The difference in the ones who have been here for some time and the new arrivals is remarkable.  We wonder what tomorrow brings. Some of the team a doing a bit of sightseeing and later in the day, we will go to Thamel, the tourist area, and have a nice meal at the Dream Garden; a lovely place to see and clear our heads for the week ahead.

Robyn
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