Educate Nepal Mission Teams: Wednesday, 2 Oct.  Sorrow for two families.

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, 3 October 2013

Wednesday, 2 Oct.  Sorrow for two families.

This morning, we had a call to go to the half-way house as one of our women had learned that her mother had died suddenly. 5 of us walked over, and sat on the floor with her while she grieved. All the other women sat with us also. We prayed for her and found out a little about her situation. The young woman had come to know The Lord when she came to the half- way house a few months ago. She had shared the gospel with her parents, who also believed so she has the knowledge that her mum has gone to be with The Lord. She has to face that gruelling bus trip of 19 or 20 hours to bury her mother and trek back again. She gets motion sickness also. Life is pretty tough here. Then this afternoon, we heard of one of the church leaders, about four and a half hours away, died from a brain tumor, only about 25. Raju had to go out there to perform the funeral.

On the brighter side, we went to more hostels to photograph our girls, and Josh and Aaron came

to sing to the girls. They really loved it. I think they thought they had Justin Beber (don't know how to spell it. Not a fan) in their midst.

Our front yard.