Morning, day 2, and we're already trying to blag extra coffee from the YWCA staff to support our early starts. Yesterday is still sitting hard and cold in my stomach, and when Carolyn tells us we're to spend today at another rescued girls project-- this time much further out in the Mumbai slums-- I'm relieved I'm not the only one who doesn't think she's up to it.
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Our first real day on project, with the amazing team at Save The Children (no, not that one). The project we worked with was called Save Our Sisters, a group of teachers who cared for girls rescued from their traffickers, teaching them skills so they might get a proper job and never be tempted to go back. It all felt pretty intimidating and all I could tell myself in preparation was to remember that word: sisters, and to look for what we had in common, not the differences. And to smile, and love them.
As our day drew to a close, we finally met with reps from some of the teams we would be working with throughout our time in Mumbai. Many of them were from Oasis India (I'll write a lot more about them and their amazing work when I write up my Bangalore journal) including one woman we were introduced to called Didi.
This is her story. The video shows what a rescue operation looks like from Oasis India's side. I'll be working with Oasis when I'm in Bangalore, specifically finding out more about this kind of rescue and prevention work. It scares me a bit that this kind of stuff, I want to be involved in it long term. Watching other people in other countries do these courageous things-- it seems very far away. But there are anti-trafficking action groups here in Glasgow. And I feel I really need to be part of them.
An excerpt from the 'Stop the Traffik' book: the story of a young girl rescued by Oasis India, one of the projects I'll be working with in Bangalore. I guess it'll become too close to home very soon.
"A petite young girl with a shy but endearing smile, Roshni, twenty, is extremely hard-working and has mastered the skill of Aari work, which is a type of embroidery using colourful beads, threads and sequins. A few years ago, her life was completely different. On being promised employment, Roshni agreed to come to Mumbai in India from her hometown in Andrha Pradesh-- but was horrified to find herself in a brothel. It was then that she realised that her relative, whom she trusted, had in fact deceived her and sold her into the flesh trade. Roshni was still an under-age girl. When the police conducted a raid at the brothel, Roshni was rescued and sent to a home which provided care for girls until the edge of eighteen. She was tested HIV positive. On turning 18, Roshni was sent to Purnata Bhavan (a residential care project of Oasis India, www.oasisindia.org), where she participated in the literacy programmes offered and learnt to read and write. She also became so skilled at Aari work that she is now able to teach others. Roshni would soon be doing an advanced course in Aari work before she could start working." |