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.

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Tuesday- team disbanding

Its Tuesday evening, and four members are at the principals home for dinner.  She lives nearby in a tiny home, very humble surroundings.  But they love to be hospitable and it is a joy to have us over.  Margaret and Barry have their final cooking class tonight and should be home soon.  Agnes, Margaret and Barry head home tomorrow at 1.30.  They are finding it hard to say goodbyes.  Trish leaves us on Thursday, but is having a week on a tour around Nepal before she  flies back of Oz.  We only had a flying visit from our monkey today but found out this afternoon, that he had bitten one of the little boys who lives on the ground floor.  We heard a lot of screaming early in the evening yesterday and wondered if he had encountered  our not so little housebreaker.  Robert and his granddaughter are settling in to the school life here and have the rest of this week and next week before returning home.    I was reading Ps.113 today verses 5-8.

Who is like the Lord our God,
The One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth.

He raises the poor from the dust,
and the needy from the ash heap.
He seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.

It is so wonderful to see this with our own eyes.

Grahame is still away in Chitwan.  He comes home tomorrow afternoon, and then the next day he goes to a place called Dolonghat to walk over some land to see if it is suitable for another project he has in mind.  Some other team members will write a blog tonight with their summary of their time with the team

Robyn
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