Educate Nepal Mission Teams: Thursday 5th February. Homeward bound

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 5 February 2015

Thursday 5th February. Homeward bound

We have just had breakfast in the hotel on the last day. We are heading out this afternoon on our way home. We are both very weary. We have been having endless meetings, talking about rent, price and availability of land, government regulations, driving around in mad traffic looking at land etc. Lots of conversations about how things work in the country, listening hard to make sure we understand the English, Myanmar style, eating all sorts of different foods. I have been dreaming of baked dinners or a steak and mashed potatoes. I am not eating rice again till we come back in April. We get home late Friday night, and we have our team training day for the April team on Saturday. Not real good timing. Thanks for following along with us on our journey. Please continue to pray for the work in Nepal, India and now in Myanmar. We will be resuming the blog in April.

Robyn