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 18 January 2013

Thursday

 We may have another little baby soon.  Apparently, there are two mothers who gave birth.  One had a little boy and the other a little girl.  Both women claim that the boy is theirs.  They are doing a DNA test to find out who is the real mother. (Solomon would have benefited from modern technology)  But the end of it is that no one wants the little girl so once the confusion is sorted out, and we are assuming the mother of the little girl won't want her, we will take her in with our babies.    Bill Newman was planning to come here in April for a crusade, in the Chitwan district, but it has had to be postponed due to political unrest.  We have been advised by a member of parliament that it could be unsafe and there will be strikes, so no one can travel.  There is also risk of personal injury if we were doing something if we were so overt in the gospel.  It is Hindu and Maoist stirrers  who are very unhappy with the government so we don't want to put our Aussie friends in harms way; nor do we want the people in the church down there to suffer any backlash after we leave.  It shows how unstable things are here still.   Bureaucrats are wanting to pass a ordinance that stops Christian orphanages from preaching the gospel to the children.  It is not a law officially passed but they are trying to  enforce it.  Raju said if they enforce the proposed ordinances,  he will go to the government and say "You take care of the almost 400 kids , if that is what you expect to do.    Lyn, Kate and I went to the school today to show our school and to visit with Ruth again.

Robyn

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