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.

Saturday 6 September 2014

Saturday 6th 'Tough Missionary Life'




Today, we went to the little village church.  It was sweltering hot, and up in the loft, with lots of people jammed in, it was even hotter.  Danielle felt a bit woozy, but was OK after a while.  On the way home, we stopped half way to have lunch at a hotel right on the escarpment with views of the mountains.  On the way up, we saw some snow capped mountains, and green valleys, and terraced hillsides, luxuriously green  with rice fields.  The statue of Shiva, the destroyer, 143 feet high, stared ominously down the Kathmandu valley.  By the time we came back the cloud had settled over the mountain caps unfortunately, but still the view was spectacular.  Grahame had a very novel lunch.  He ordered a chicken drumstick dinner, and as you can see it was amazingly decorated to look like a chicken.  On a bed of mashed potatoes, with a mashed potato head, peppercorn eyes and carrot wings and comb and tail.  It looked better than it tasted, but it was one of those fascinating moments we have here.  On the way home, there were two big trucks broken down on the winding road around the mountains and also we saw two other trucks that had gone into the deep ditch on the side of the road.  I have no idea how they get them out, way out there without a crane or something.   The road is narrow enough without broken vehicles blocking the way.  We are always conscious  of the possible dangers, and pray for the Lord's protection.   Apparently there were 5 children saved from the terrible landslide that swept away three villages, and we hope to be able to take them into the hostel.  It is not official yet.  Imagine, those little things seeing their whole families, communities and villages swept away.  It is all that they know.  Please remember these little orphans in your prayers.

Robyn

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