Anti-trafficking and stomach bug

So here's why we came on this trip to begin with. A Chattanooga-based ministry run by some friends of our asked us to come along with them to Nepal to scope out a group here that is engaged in the prevention of human trafficking at a couple points along the Nepal-India border. We spent a couple days with this group last week visiting their centers and offices, and had lots of great conversations.

Here's how it works.

The overland border between Nepal and India is strikingly open, with just a few guards checking paperwork and thousands of pedestrians, animals, buses, and delivery trucks passing to and fro each day. Historically this has been a very active border for the trafficking of persons from Nepal, where rural poverty leaves girls and women with very little options, into India, which is one of the biggest hubs for trafficking around the world. Once in India, girls from Nepal, Bhutan, and other countries can be sent to the Middle East and other countries in South Asia to become domestic slaves or lost in the sex trade.

A group of Nepalis has set up border surveillance booths at a couple crossing points to look out for potential trafficking victims. They are recognized and aided by the Nepali government, and have the support of the local police force. They have been trained to recognize the signs of traffickers and their victims, and pull the girls aside to ask them questions and give them information. In this way they have saved hundreds of girls from becoming victims. They help them get in touch with their families to make arrangements to go back home, and they have no home to go back to they provide skill training that gives them a marketable skill for future employment. Girls in the halfway houses who are being trained in sewing and knitting make some outstanding winter hats and scarves, and are beginning to make some clothing.

While World Next Door has agreed to work with this organization and has made an initial purchase, this is very much a Nepali-conceived and Nepali-run effort. We don't want to portray ourselves as the savior or missing link in this effort, and we don't want to be seen as the wealthy West coming in to throw money about and call it development. We're excited to be involved in our own small way, and hope to stay in communication with them to offer ideas on product development over the coming months.

On another note, we've been down with some kind of stomach bug for the last 2 days. We're not sure where we got it, but we've each thrown up and have had some pretty exciting times in the bathroom. Fortunately we've got some antibiotics that are starting to help us feel better, although we have had to cancel a couple meetings. This is the point in the trip where we're bothing aching to be back home, but there are still 3 more days left and we intend to make good use of them.