People here in Nepal constantly ask me if I’m Nepalese. I tell them no, American…They find it so interesting. They ask, “where are you staying?” I say “Asha Nepal.” Then it’s the awkwardness…I could read there expression. “Why is she staying there?” People outside of the gates know about Asha. They know who stays there and they know where they came from. Judgment creeps forth like a plague…like an uncontrolled stare when someone “weird” walks by. It’s contagious.
Asha Nepal – A place of Rescue and Restoration
Women and children who have been rescued from being sex trafficked in India find a new start in Asha. They find life again.
http://www.asha-nepal.org/pages/home/
-Being sold into the sex trade industry-
Your a 14 year old girl living in your village with your family. Living a simple life…content…not really knowing anything else beyond your village. A Struggle – your family is poor. They NEED you to find a job so your family can eat. Someone comes along (most often a woman) offering your parents to take you into the city where you can make more than enough money to help your family out. It seems like your prayers to one of your gods has been answered. A miracle even. The woman takes you and places you in a hotel for sometime. She gives you a little work here and there in that hotel (making jewelry or sowing). This woman is very kind and even lets you call your family in the village to tell them your doing well and making enough money. You send them your earnings for those couple of months. Then the woman takes you away from the hotel abruptly. She drops you off with another woman. You never see her again. They put you in a tiny room, no windows..its dark. The next day the women comes in with a man. You are forced to start the business. You scream and cry…you beg..”please, I’m young enough to be your daughter.” No one listens. “You must pay off your debt,” they say. They beat you until you have no choice and the act is done. You have just been sold into one of the largest growing industries in the world. You have been sold into sex slavery. This tiny room will become your hell for the next 3 years. Theres no escape. You must pay off the the price that they bought you for. They train you for 3 years…they break you…tell you that this is your life…you will never be anything else. You are lower than an animal…goods to be sold and used. 3 years pass and your debt is payed off. You are out in the real world but don’t have any money. How do you get home? Will your family want you once you’ve told them what happened (most often you get shunned, rejected)? What do you do? The one thing you were trained to do. It’s who you are right?
This is one of the main ways young girls are sold into this “business” everyday. These are the women I have been honored to spend time with. To love.
One of the women here whom I adore has a similar story. Only the person that sold her was her brother. He needed money to go to school, so decided to hand her over for 50,000 Rupees ( a little over $700). She was rescued through much prayer. A women (who now is the director of Asha Nepal) stood in front of the brothel praying over it everyday and teaching the brothel owner the word of God. Many months later the brothel owner gave her life to Christ and released all the women in the brothel (over 35 women).
There are 8 women and 16 children living in Asha Nepal. Each one with a similar but different story of their own. The children were young and exposed.
-How some of the children were treated as infants-
Drugged enough to be unconscious and shoved under the bed for days.
Sleeping in the same bed while they’re mothers were with a customer.
The young girls were in danger of becoming like they’re mother in a few short years.
3 of the women are HIV positive and one of the babies has not been tested yet. She turns 1 at the end of April. Please join me in prayer as they take her to get tested. She is the happiest most beautiful baby. Full of life. I love her so much and she can’t have HIV. I won’t accept it. Her nickname is Angel. Pray for Baby Angel.
Thank you for your support and prayers.
