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.

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Wednesday 7th January. Halfway house visit

Last night, we visited the young women in the halfway house.  As it is holidays, two of them had their little children with them, as usually the children  live in the hostels.  One of the young women was having a birthday, so it was lovely to be there to share that with her.  Again, the Bollywood music came out and we all danced together.  The little children are very good at it.  Even the dog joined in very excitedly.  He is supposed to be a guard  dog, but he was enjoying all the festivities.   This morning, I took Sally, a paediatric nurse, over the the Miriam Centre to meet our babies; really toddlers now.  Some welcomed us with open arms, others were very shy.  The triplets that were rescued a couple of years ago looking like they wouldn't survive, are chubby little things now.    It was good for Sally to have a bit of a look at them, to see if they seems to be developing properly.
Grahame returns from the west tonight, with two of the ladies from our team. Three of the team head home this afternoon.  We are about 15 on team.  This afternoon, we plan another visit to one of the hostels with 24 little kids who didn't go home to the village over Christmas.  I have a dose of some sort of flu and am not feeling too flash.  The conference finishes tomorrow.  The afternoon is  when people get their certificates for their studies for the fortnight.  It has been a very full two weeks, with the house overflowing with over a hundred people.  Getting into the toilet is a challenge.  You have to be quick.
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