Disclaimer: This is just one side of the story! This is Ruth's story from her perspective.
Safe House Nepal is located about a half hour outside of Katmandu. It's on a beautiful piece of land that overlooks a valley of rice fields and has a perfect view of the Himalayan mountain range! On their website they talk about how the rescue women and children from India's sex slave industry and rehabilitate them, giving them a trade and give them their lives back. However, I saw something much different. Safe House Nepal to me, seemed more like a hostel for single women. Yes, some of them were once in the industry but have been out for many, many years. There is a few young girls who do have families but because pregnant at a young age have been sent away, there are also some children that have HIV that cannot live with their families. I DO NOT believe that Safe House Nepal is a bad place, but I do believe it is not what they claim it to be. This became ever so apparent to us the more we got to know Ruth.
After knowing Ruth for about a week and talking to her every day Katelyn had established a great relationship with Ruth. Our month took an unexpected turn the day Ruth came knocking on the door crying. Quickly the light was shining on the darkness. Ruth had told us that since arriving at Safe House Nepal she had been telling them about her medical needs, their reply was she was not a priority and that she couldn't get the necessary medical attention she would need. She was also required to work everyday in the wheat fields carrying bales of hay up and down the mountainside. Because of the very strenuous work Ruth's medical conditions got worse. There were some days she was in so much pain she couldn't even stand. These days the older women and young boys in the house would come to her room and hit her in the head and speak to her in a way no one should ever be spoken to. Ruth had explained to us that this had been going on since she arrived and that she had been notified that if she couldn't work to pay her rent then she would be out on the street by the end of the week.
It was a very delicate situation because we didn't want to disrespect our contact but, We all knew that watching a 16 year old girl walk out to the cold streets of Nepal couldn't happen with us watching. We immediately got to work! Everyone on our team as praying and looking for a new place for Ruth to live! Within a week we had found Ruth a new home! She is now safely in a real safe house where she will be protected, give and education, and have all of her medical issues addressed! But that's not to say it didn't go down without a fight! The night of Ruth's departure was a very dramatic for all involved. There are certain politics in foreign countries that we Americans just don't understand! The next few days after Ruth had left were interesting. We have had to rebuild the relationship with the other women in the house. With less than a week left here in Nepal, I know I will probably play spades a few dozen more times, and I may not have much to do. But I am we'll aware of one thing. Gods plans are never wasted time!
