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 4 October 2014

Saturday 4th October. The last post.

It's Saturday afternoon, and we are half packed to fly home in the morning.  There is a saying. " When you look like your passport photo,  it is time to go home."  Well, I think I passed that mark about two weeks ago.  No! I am not showing you the photo.  We have two team members flying out tonight.  They have been here for four weeks, and now they are headed for Thailand, for another month, doing a building project.  It is nice to be young and energetic.  We will have one team member left by herself till next Friday, Vanessa, who is working with the Principal and Deputy while the kids are on holidays.  Then she is off on a 16 day trek.  Grahame preached in another church today.  He is not at all well and not looking forward to the long journey home.  Some of our girls were dressed in Saris this morning (because of the festival time) and they looked absolutely fabulous.  They seem like girls to me, but when they are dressed up , they are something else.  We have been blessed with electricity almost all the time, for the past three days because of festival time, so that has been nice.  Anyway, it is time to sign off for this trip.  Grahame will be back in about three weeks, with a school team.  Hope you have enjoyed walking through life in Nepal with us.

Robyn
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