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.

Sunday 31 March 2013

The grave is empty.

What a wonderful day we have had today.  The service began at 11 a.m. in a large auditorium rented for the occasion.  The building was packed to the rafters, 3,000 people.  The large band , guitars, drums, keyboard,  trumpets , violins, the beautiful singers in their glorious saris glistening in the spotlights, was wonderful.  We sang lovely nepali choruses , one we knew, "above all".  It is so great to sing along. We were treated to a traditional nepali band with drums, weird trumpets and funny instruments.  Then an old lady in her blue sari started to dance spontaneously, swaying gracefully to the music.  Then a young man joined in more vigorously, others followed.  I love the way these people celebrate the joy they feel in the Lord.  We also had two other beautiful nepali dances on the programme, so delightful to watch. One with boys and girls together, and later six young women, very eastern style, graceful hand gestures.  It is impossible to explain how lovely it was, but there will be a  DVD of the whole programme we can hopefully share with some of you when we get home.   Then  about 40 of our girls from the hostels sang to us.  It is so great to see them there so clean and happy and think how different their lives would have been if so many Aussies hadn't made it all possible.

Robyn

No comments:

Post a Comment