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 26 September 2014

Friday 26th. Building relationships



  
 

Everything in Nepal is about relationships and community.  All our training and activities are driven by becoming a family with these lovely people.  Trish  is with her girls , Nepalese style,  preparing them for work.  It has been wonderful to see the "light bulbs" going on, as Trish opens up new avenues of thinking.  Hannah above after having her face painted by one of her trainees.  And below, is Danielle, assisting some of the girls working towards english speaking.  The team arrived last night quite weary, but full of stories of their experiences out in the West.  They know they will never be able to fully explain what they have seen and done.  Mike and Frank loved doing training of the pastors, and everyone has seen the places that some of our girls come from.  It is quite confronting.
Peter is teaching ESL and I will get a photo of that in the future.  Today  is   team day off, so we are going out together this afternoon.  The ladies who arrived last night have been washing all morning in the little twin tub mating.  They had mountains of washing.

robyn
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