Educate Nepal Mission Teams: Graduation Day

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.

Thursday 8 January 2015

Graduation Day

Graduation was this afternoon, with people getting their certificates for counselling, three levels of teacher training, and leadership training. It was such a joy to see some of our sponsored girls doing the counselling training, and one girl speaking, in english, saying how much it had helped her and how she wanted to teach others. These opportunities would have been beyond their wildest dreams a couple of years ago, thanks to those people who sponsor these girls. It makes an enormous difference in their lives. We had two different dancing groups. One group were in black pants, and white T shirts with "No Other Name" on the front and they danced to "Who Am I" by Mercy Me. The second group did a beautiful traditional Nepali dance in colourful costumes.
The team are having dinner out tonight as it is the last day for quite a few. One lady left at lunch time, three leave tonight and three leave tomorrow. So we will only be 6 tomorrow night.