Educate Nepal Mission Teams: Getting our feet on the ground

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, 22 March 2012

Getting our feet on the ground

The sight from the right side of the plane was the best view of the Himalayas yet. The tall white caps against the blue sky was wonderful. We were all on the left side and yet still could see them. On our side we were reminded that Nepal can and does get dry and dusty before the monsoon arrives as the landscape was quite brown. On exiting the airport the dust hit and Margot could feel the old sinus condition flare up. It was so good to see Raju's smile. We had a really classy taxi but the ride to Bouddha was the same adventure with horns sounding and centimetres to spare on each side and the odd bull or cow holding up the flow of traffic.
Tea at the Bakery Cafe with our friendly waiters. Many of them are deaf and mute and one is a small man. Great and friendly.
Off to bed early and then Grahame up early as usual and just as well as someone missed the bathroom door in a kind of sleep walk and found the bedroom instead and was guided by some correct directions from Papa.
Papa did his"off to the office " thingo. The girls had a day on Bouddha Road shopping. Coulters and shoes. Coulters are the national dress of our Nepali sisters. Two taxi rides and home for a meeting with the Mulpani teachers who will become the Tusal high school teachers. Raju and Papa guided us all through the course of the meeting and we got the week ahead all organised.
Yes...we have now arrived, been organised and we are ready. More to come. Agnes.