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.

Monday 14 January 2013

Monday

It is Monday afternoon and it is very quiet here.   Miriam is having a nap, as she has to fly out this evening and the rest of the team are 600 miles away in Chinchiu.  I will be home alone till tomorrow night.  I don't feel at all nervous though,  Grahame rang this morning to say Raju has lead a young women to the Lord at the hotel where the team is staying.  He is a remarkable man. This is a regular occurrence   The Micro financing guys are up there, also Lyn and Katie.  Grahame is trying to locate a little girl we thought  was coming in last September, but her father wouldn't let her come.  She is a cousin of the 3 other little girls we brought in.  There is also a young girl , 15, who was kidnapped and taken to India to a brothel there.  She has since been rescued and is living in one of the hostels here.  But she had to go back to her town, as there is a court case about her kidnapping and she has to testify against this guy.  He has been trying to bribe her to lie, so he can get off.  Raju told her just to tell the truth. If this guy gets off, it is a message to other traffickers  that they can get away with it.  It must be a daunting thing for a 15 year old to be in this position, but these girls must be strong or they wouldn't have survived the ordeal they have already been through.  The last couple of weeks has been very full on, but we were blessed with great team members and a great deal has been accomplished.  Our last team members leave on the evening of 19th and we move house on 20th.  I'm glad Raju has arranged for other people from the church to do the heavy lifting.  The double bunks weigh a ton and they have to  be taken down stairs and up again at the other place.

Robyn
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