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.

Friday 11 January 2013

Knowing how to celebrate but big!!

What a wonderful and open people they are here in Nepal.

Today we had the graduation and celebration ceremony for the end of this training course.  These people are so open hearted that they applaud for each other for long periods of time (back home in Australia we seem to fatigue in our ability to keep encouraging each other)...

They also think to say thank you in substantial ways to all those who have helped in any way at all.  The cheer that the cook received was long, loud and incredibly appropriate :)

And more than all of this, they express joy, gratitude and hope in our Lord through music and words in ways that stir the heart.  For me, the time here has enriched me in more ways than I can currently put into words.

When I get home I will look again at Grace - because here in Nepal God has used the time of fellowship to remind us of His throne of mercy and grace (you can read about it at the end of Hebrews chapter 4).

God is good...

Stephen J Fyson PhD

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