Educate Nepal Mission Teams: Thursday11- Master Class

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 12 September 2014

Thursday11- Master Class

Today was the final day for the self defence class for this group. So is guess you could say it was graduation. I just had to take a photo of Josh and our tiny Manissa. She is such a cutie. So just a few shots of the girls in action. Next week, the cooking class and the self defence class swap over. We had a new stove installed today which is a bit more modern than the last one (modern for Nepal). Gloria and Danielle had a great week. Danielle is giving Gloria some instruction as we speak, how to post a photo on the phone and install an ap. It is good to have some techno. young people for the more senior members of us who have no clue. The dolls bodies and heads are made and next week we concentrate on drawing faces and
putting on hair and making clothes. I don't know if we can accomplish this in 5 two hour lessons as they are not too good at the drawing part. Tomorrow in team day off, so we will be going into Thamel for the afternoon to see the tourist area, and then have dinner in town. Two new team members arrive tomorrow lunch time, only overnighting, and then out to Surkhet , 1 hour plane ride, and 2 1/2 hour drive to the region where the girls come from. Graig is training the pastors from the surrounding district, about 60, I think, and Lyn is doing training of teachers in our school there.