Sweden February 5, 2016
I came back a few days ago from the recent trip to Singapore and Kathmandu. It is wonderful how the work against trafficking grows on so many fronts in Nepal. Nepal as country has however big problems with the blockade from India that has caused many difficulties and significant price increases. The black market prices are at least three times higher than before the blockade began in September. Thousands of people still sleep in tents or shacks because help is not available for reconstruction after the earthquake. The sheet metal sheds and tents are now ice-cold since as it is winter and many die from the cold. It’s a really tragic situation.
Despite all the difficulties, Lighthouse Foundation are doing an amazing job. I really want to salute Pastor Raju Sundas and Lighthouse’ workers and staff. Their love and compassion for girls and women in sexual slavery is fantastic. One of the special things that happens with girls who were previously sex-slaves (as sister Devi in the photo further down with the kids), is that they become workers in the ministry and they take care of the newcomers. The entire anti-trafficking work is becoming one of the major works against human trafficking in the country and the work is well known and appreciated by the Government of Nepal. The authorities grade the work with an A-grade, which is the highest standard authorities have to rank the NGOs in the country.
On this occasion, we visited the current Prime Minister’s office and The Minister of Industry, and in addition to that, we got to meet the former Prime Minister in his home. He resigned after the new constitution was signed in September 2015. His family is like the Gandhi family in India. He leads the Congress party and the family has been dominant in politics for over fifty years in Nepal.
Former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala (middle right)
The Lighthouse poster says it all:
“Our past, our present, our future”
Here is a follow-up on last update about the rescue operation:
The latest group of girls that were rescued from the pit of hell – the brothel areas in India have never gone to school, so they are all in an introductory class, even Ashmita who is seventeen and the oldest of them. As girls and women are rescued we hope that they can come to a place like Ligthouse where they can find care, healing and restoration, a place where people care.
Injustice, Callousness and Disregard for Human Suffering
We had time to sit down and hear the stories of the girls together with Sangita, head of the hostels in Kathmandu. One of the testimonies was from a thirteen year old, one of the girls above that was rescued from New Delhi. It was a daring rescue operation performed by Lighthouse Foundation together with Maiti India. I wrote about it in the last update. Her story is so similar to so many others I have listened to.
Sarita Badi, 13 years old
Her mother was often sick during her childhood and her father was constantly abusing and beating the children. He abandoned the family when Sarita was eight and they have never seen or heard from him since then. Because of their poverty and the mother’s sickness, she couldn’t care for the children properly, and a neighbour took advantage of that and sold Sarita to a brothel in GB Road in Delhi. She was drugged with something that was put in her tea, and then transported over the border to India where she woke up in a brothel in Delhi. She was twelve years old and the very first day she was raped by many men. She finally fainted because of exhaustion and pain and she woke up in the morning with her bed covered in blood, her own blood. She was forced to have a make-up and wear a short skirt, and months of sexual abuse and beatings followed. She was forced to sleep with many men and if she couldn’t fulfill the quota, the owner would increase her quota or beat her. She tried to escape a number of times but was caught and mercilessly beaten. She had to go through several abortions and becamse sick because of complications. Almost all the girls that come to LHFN that have been in the brothels have genital problems that require medical attention during long time.
To make a long story short, Lighthouse staff in Delhi found out about her and a team travelled from Kathmandu to take part in the rescue. It was a dangerous operation but it was successful. She was brought to Kathmandu and is now in one of the homes. Her three younger sisters who were almost also sold to the brothel have also come to live in the homes. Tears were running down her cheeks when she was telling her story as the pain is great, but now she is free. She has escaped the hell of that brothel and she has a future.
We are grateful to you for helping to cover the cost for the rescue operation, BUT we cannot just rescue them from something and stop there. We MUST continue and give education, food, shelter, medical help and a future to these children. They have no one. They are helpless and will not make it, unless we continue supporting them. Someone will take advantage of them and enslave them again if we don’t stand up for them.
We need new sponsors and we need more sponsors.
These ten children need sponsors! Sponsorship is 65 USD/month.
One-time gifts are great and we are grateful for every gift, BUT when it comes to this kind of sponsorship we need longer term commitments. Why not be part of something that is really changing lives — a global community fighting sex-slavery? Write to us and we will give you all information you need.
Please share this update with friends! The investment you make in this rescue and restoration ministry is producing lots and lots of fruits and we commit to regularly supply you with updates and news hot off the press so to speak.
If you’d like to be a sponsor, please visit the following link:
Gratefully Yours,
Håkan Gabrielsson