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.

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Another lovely day with these incredible young ladies. They are so loving and grateful for all that they receive they are quite inspirational. Today, we watched a short film on the computer showing a baby growing in the womb till birth and then we shared birth experiences and I explained the intricacies of labour as simply as possible. We have a lovely interpreter who is a year twelve pupil in school and very proficient in English. She seems to appreciate my silly English humour though my joke about pms and. Mad cow disease seemed to get lost I translation! 
Tomorrow I will teach them about parts of the body and relating that back to biblical texts. I really want them to know that they were not an accident and that God loves them and how precious and unique they are. 
Some more of the team have arrived today so the house is noisy again, can only imagine how it will be tomorrow when the school team returns from their trip out west. Everyone is really nice and we enjoy each other, s company. 
Please excuse any mistakes! Have borrowed Robyn,s iPad and it doesn't,  always behave as I want!
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