it happens in the US too

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2010/05/21/exclusive-the-hero-behind-the-metafilter-human-trafficking-rescue-speaks-out.aspx

hanging out with sex workers

the past two Tuesdays I have been going to this organization, CHANGE Nepal. Its an NGO that focuses on domestic violence and sex workers. They have a drop in center in the middle of Thamel, an area where most of the dance bars are.

I have been teaching english for two hours at the drop in center. A drop in center is a safe haven like community for the girls. They can come for psychosocial counseling, play games, hang out, and on Tuesdays learn English. It has been one of the most rewarding times that I have had in Nepal. Abiding by the policy you are not allowed to ask specific details about their work or life, so all I know is that there are girls "working in Thamel" as they tell me from ages 14-26.

The first time 4 girls showed up and the second Tuesday about 9 girls showed up. I wish I were doing this from the beginning, but to be with these girls for two hours once a week interacting with them like they are females, not thinking of them as prostitutes, has really opened my eyes. People are people despite what they have been obligated, forced, chosen to be a part of. Everyone has a heart, instead of looking down upon them why not help them, bring them up and give them hope, options. Providing these english lessons is suppose to encourage and make these girls aware there are other options aside from working in a dance bar.

it happens in america just as well

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-rather/pornland-oregon-child-pro_b_580035.html

learning a little about corruption

So today is the third day of the "indefinite" strike the Maoists have put on. Im getting a little antsy, thinking about fleeing to India or somewhere since it doesnt look like this strike is ending anytime soon.

Thankfully, between the hours of 6-8pm shops are allowed to open, but the rest of the day everything is closed up and the streets are only filled with people slowly meandering down the road, looking extremely bored!

Two good things from this...kathmandu air has become so clean and breathable! and there has been electricity for the majority of the days!

Before this nonsense happened, I went to Kimtang with FPAN (Family Planning Nepal) for another health camp. Though it wasnt as memorable as my first health camp experience (didnt interview anyone), it was a wonderful experience. Kimtang is 6 hours away by bus, in the mountains. It was actually cold! Its a buddhist, Tamong caste village. There were many babies and mothers that came this time and we were able to post up simple trafficking awareness posters that I believe made a few unaware aware!

Last Tuesday I met with the director at Change Nepal. It is an NGO for sex workers and domestic violence. Today was supposed to be my first day, but since the strike they are not opened, that I teach english/ hang out with sex workers. Im really excited! I have not really thought about this target group, but now that I am aware how some of these trafficked girls are trapped in the sex worker industry and have no way out, I have become greatly interested.

Hopefully this unreasonable, frustrating strike ends soon so I can start doing things with life again. especially since I only have one month and two days until I return to the states!

this is too many girls' lives.

After being a little discouraged and unmotivated from the lack of opportunities for me, I have finally become moved and motivated once again.

I spoke with a lady at Terre des Hommes, an NGO focused on childrens rights. They are affiliated with a few NGO's in Nepal. One of there events has been an photography exhibit of trafficked survivors at SANLAAP safe house in Kolkata, India.

The girls were allowed to be any identity that felt connected with.

These are the results. The exhibit is currently at Harvard, I am hoping it is possible to bring it to Orange County. I can only imagine how people are moved when they see these short summaries and images.

http://www.anotherme.org/

this is Monika.

When Monika was 16 years old she was living in Sikharbesi with her mother and father. One afternoon there was a Hindu festival in the local area and a man approached her, offering her a job opportunity in Kathmandu. Coming from a family of farmers and living in a village with few opportunities, she agreed to go with this man,

After a six hour bus ride to Kathmandu, her and her escort met with another girl, who had also agreed to the same job prospect in Kathmandu. Monika came to realize there was no job in Kathmandu, as they immediately went on their way to Delhi, India via bus.

Putting these two things together, a man traveling with two young females on public transportation, I asked Monika what he told her to say if the police asked who this man was. Though the police did not question either girl or man, Monika said he told them both to say, “He is my husband and we have work in Delhi.”

Upon arriving in Delhi, Monika was sold as a virgin to her new home and workplace for 2 million rupees.

Be it because of the need for a translator with basic English created for an uncomfortable, impersonal situation or the expressing of feelings about this time of her life was novelty, even though it was six years ago, Monika was reluctant to give many details about her living situation in Delhi. However, she described the brothel as something as livable and acceptable. Having around 32-40 girls in the brothel ranging from the ages of 14-32 years of age and receiving three meals a day, they each had their own room. At first Monika expressed that her landlady abused and forced drugs on the girls for cooperation, but then a few minutes later she denied this comment and described her landlady as very nice and never using abuse. The clients were the ones that abused the girls when they did not cooperate with the clients desires, mostly refusing sexual intercourse. Curious to how Monika was treated, I asked her if she had initially agreed to sex or if she was uncooperative. The only response I received from this question was Monika lowering her head and looking toward the ground.

After four years of living in Delhi, a man who Monika did not give much detail about, purchased her allowing her to return to her home village, Sikharbesi. Upon return to her village, she told her family what had happened and fortunately they accepted her back into their life. Monika married a man and now has a daughter and a son. She works as a farmer and her husband is a tailor. With asking about how her husband she immediately mentioned how he abuses her. Her facial expressions reconfirmed her low self-esteem and acceptance of this life.

With my two final questions I asked her how she would prevent her daughter from being trafficked as they live in the same village she was taken from and does the same line of work as her parents. Smiling, she said, even though “there is nothing that could have changed [me from being trafficked,] “I [will] know [that] he is lying, I know about this “job.”” Continuing, she began to laugh, “I will tell the police, even though they will do nothing.”

As the translator only had basic English, my questions became very limited. My final question though, very straight forward brought me to tears as I genuinely asked, “How do you feel now?” Monika only looked down, laughed and shortly responded, “I am not okay.”
Though she found FPAN, Family Planning Association in Nepal, where she has been provided medical and health support, she has lived the past 6 years without psychosocial, legal, or any other support that is necessary to learn how to heal from this past life. She has managed to make another life for herself, but as she has said, she is not okay, and daily lives with each memory of her four years in Delhi.

Monika with her son and daughter(in the pink)

when i grow up i will live in a village.

I have returned from 9 days living in a village and im in absolute culture shock. I feel like I need time to transition and get used to all this madness. Trekking season has begun, so many tourists are out and about, wearing clothing that I now consider a bit too risqué aka shorts and tanks!

In as few words as possible the village was absolutely amazing, life changing, eye opening, inspirational, the experience I was looking for.

I have realized, Kathmandu is not Nepal. At all.

So, the adventure began on Saturday morning. NavaRaj, the man that works with FPAN, Family Planning Assoc of Nepal, in the office in Karenetar picked me up on his motorbike. Its only a 50 km ride, but of course with stopping to chat with all his friends, eating at the must hours of 10am for dal bhat, beans and rice, tea and then again snack at 2pm it took 6 HOURS. My body was in SOOO much pain.

When I first got there I was in absolute shock. Of course there was no internet connection or mobile service, I was living in a village. For some reason I was waiting to find a local internet shop or a familiar white face, but no the last time a white person was in this village was 20 years ago! So there my English went, down to kindergarten level and my luxuries of previous warm showers inside, a bed that wasn’t like a rock, meals other than rice and beans and entertainment beyond bollywood were gone! I was in a little shock, but after the first 3 days, I adapted and now am sitting in this mad city wishing I were back in the village!

I was originally supposed to be in Khanetar for two weeks, but after one week I found it time for me to go. For the first few days I found myself eagerly looking for something to do. I sat in the office, where they gave medical check-ups to any walk-in patients and provided other medical services, but there was not much for me to do. I met many officials and spoke with the local police and military men but what completed this trip was the medical camp they had in Sikharbesi.

It was about a 2 hour motorbike ride away. On the way there after two buses that decided to stop, me and two other staff members were a two hours walking distance away stranded with an 80 lb box of medical supplies and another box. We found a porter who decided to quit after crossing a river and finally found 3, 10 year old boys to carry the boxes up this huge hill that surprised us with amazing fields of hay and streams of fresh water everywhere! We paid them 150 rupees total, about $2!

All day Friday we had a camp where people from all over came for medical check ups and were given free medicine. To see the faces of these people after they received their medicine was so heart warming. They were waving it around so proudly as if they had just won the lottery. I was able to interview one trafficked victim, Monika. I was unaware this was going to happen, so I was not really prepared. And my translators English was very basic, limiting the responses I could receive, but overall I cannot express how much inspiration this experience has given me. I will never forget her last words. She was 16 when she was trafficked to Delhi. She was rescued by a man four years later and returned to her village. In a rare situation, her family accepted her knowing that she had been a prostitute in India. So commonly, communities blame the girl for their trafficking and reject her from returning to the community. She immediately married another man whom she noted beats her and is a farmer with a son and daughter. Even though this was six years ago, as she is 26 years old now, it seemed as if she rarely spoke of this story. She was reluctant to answer many of my questions, especially about her experience within the brothel. After twenty minutes of asking questions and dealing with the difficulty of simplifying my English enough, I asked my final question. “How are you, really?” Monikas last words are forever stained on my heart. “I am not okay.”

I began to cry. I had to get up and walk out. Nepalis don’t show much feeling so people were confused why this American, that traveled so far, crossing rivers, etc to come to our village is showing such weakeness, but I could not help but show such emotion when she has dealt with this alone for such a long time.

I have become so inspired by this, I am more than positive I will be living in a village, working in such a setting after law school. The satisfaction of simply giving an ear to one story for a mere twenty minutes is so life changing. This is a preview of what I want to be doing in the future, with a stronger heart and the knowledge and ability to make a difference for these victims.

Nepal has a 2% divorce rate

I just returned from a Nepali engagement ceremony. When I was living in NY I tutored this boy, Saurav, for a year and became somewhat close with the family. Sauravs mom, Roshani, is the one who connected me with everyone before arriving in Kathmandu. Roshanis sister, Rajani, lives in Michigan, but just came to Nepal to meet her new fiancee and become engaged!
I have never thought of arranged marriages before, but it is very tempting!
Now in the modern days, you are able to meet and date for some time before deciding if you are compatible enough. Rajani and her new fiancee are both doctors and seem so happy.
Everyone arrived at 1130am, and between 12 and 1, was the time they had to officially engage, as it was the time according to their horoscopes. They closely follow these horoscopes. It even determines the day and time for your wedding. I met someone that told me she was married at 3am, since that was their "time."

It was so nice to be around a family atmosphere. Nepalese people are so inviting and friendly.

Surprise, Surprise its another holiday today! Ive decided they cant go to work without having one holiday a week!

Rajani and her new fiance.
finally time to officially engage(they had the time slot between 12-1pm)
both families meet for the first time

95 degrees and feeling scandalous wearing knee length shorts!

Its definitely getting hotter and hotter each day, and more bugs are coming out, meaning monsoon season is around the corner!
Load shedding has increased to 12 hours a day (no electricity for 12 random hours throughout the day). Apparently, as the year goes on the hour amount increases! Someone told me by December it might be up to 23!
I can only think to ask how can a developing nation develop if they only have electricity 1/3 of the working day! And when that comes on, internet is still infrequent!

I cant believe I have been here for a month now! And each day is still an adventure!

Ive been working with Shakti Samuha, an NGO working with anti-trafficking programs and with victims, for the past two weeks trying to get a grant proposal turned in. Its funny, we havent progressed any and now that the deadline is around the corner, the pressure is on and there seem to be less breaks for tea and laughs about no electricity/internet!

Its frustrating not bein productive, but I guess its worth it for me to even just "hang out" in the office when Im literally waiting until 3pm or whatever that days hour is for electricity, to do some work. I met with a lawyer that previously worked as the legal support for Shakti Samuha.
She is now working in the "internal" side of exploitation or the trafficking industry.

Internal- girls currently working in cabin, restraunt, dance bars
External- victims of trafficking

This lawyer has different cases for the girls that want to get out of the entertainment business. She is the first person I have met that is actually doing a job I can see myself doing. Though her english wasnt that strong, I think I just need to call her and she will show me around one day. Hopefully I cna go with her to "investigate" some of these bars.

Its amazing the types of bars they have here. Kathmandu does not have a specific red light district, but theres one area in the touristy area where theres bars of all extremes, from dance bars where the girls are dressed to shower bars where girls are taking a shower on stage to bars with full sex shows.
I have been informed of a team that goes on Tuesday nights to these areas and talks with the girls to see if anyone wants out. This Tuesday evening I hope I have the opportunity for that.

Other than working with Shakti, on April 3rd for two weeks I will be going to a village area called Nuwakot. Its about 60 miles NW of Kathmandu. My Nepali friends in NY connected me with Upama, who lives here and connected me with the college. She works for Family Planning. It is like an umbrella org and they have an anti-trafficking project in Nuwakot for the next 5 years, so Ill be able to go there and observe and experience that. Im very excited to leave the jungle for a little bit!

Recently I have had an overwhelming joy of being here, and I cant express how grateful I am for everyones support and encouragement for being able to have this opportunity!
dont miss the bus!

how to change a billboard Nepali style

something I will never get to try since my one and hopefully only visit to the ER has made a great enough impression to avoid any and all sort of street food for my remaining time here..its a pity, really.

News Updates

"Human Trafficking King Arrested"

http://www.astra.org.rs/eng/?p=227

How simple it is to buy a child

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/buy-child-10-hours/story?id=5326508&page=3

a face mask, long sleeves, pants, and a scarf all in 90 degree weather...its getting a bit warm.

With my attempt to blend in as much as I possibly can, which isnt that easy since a mere glance at my skin gives it away I am nowhere near being considered a local or for that matter anything but an english speaking citizen, I am daily wearing as much clothing as the locals do. meaning im pretty much sweating everyday so i will not be considered one of those "easy" white girls...i sure hope my body acclimates at a faster pace, its already 90 here by the mid afternoon and having dare to wear a tank top the other day with a scarf covering my shoulders, i felt very scandalous!

its been two weeks and it looks like things are coming together.Nepali time is about 3 weeks and one hour behind American time/efficiency. Its been interesting getting used to.

As of now, I am helping these two Americans, one who I met in CA before I left for Nepal, with their new business. They hire trafficking victims and teach them how to make jewelry. They currently have 5 women, who are now able to sustain a life on their salary at Beauty for Ashes and have a new family that will provide the support and love the Nepali people are accustomed to.

Necia and Ellen, the two founders of Beauty for Ashes, are extremely overwhelmed and busy with creating and developing this new business they havent found the time to do the small things like organize and make a productive, efficient organization system for all their producsts and data. Thisi s where I come in. My delight in organizing and data entering will help them be able to expand and move forward at a better rate.

Necia introduced me to this organization Beauty for Ashes has recently become affiliated with, Tiny Hands International. Founded by American men, John, the founder who resides in Kathmandu, has taken my future law school education and liking toward research and interviewing and paired it with a mini, investigation assignment!
John is extremely eager, enthusiastic, motivated and a go-getter. His personality and determination has given me a lot of responsibility, but after discussing with him what he thinks I can do, has settled my heart and reassured my time in Nepal!
Tiny Hands works with anti-trafficking, mostly doing border patrol between the open Nepal and India border. They have about 12 stations around Nepal and as I spoke with the overseer of these stations, 90% of the cases the police release the traffickers on grounds of bribery.

John, as do I, are convinced that if I compile various strategies, advice, ideas from other NGO's (non-governmental organizations) and lawyers and write some sort of statement that we could then get published in a national newspaper, bribery could be defeated! Within Hinduism and Nepali culture, family and pride are huge factors to the way people live their life. By creating awareness and real concern within these communities, ideally pressure would be placed on the police to take these cases more serious and act in favor of the traffickee and dismiss the bribes, in order to maintain their pride and reputation in their own community.
Im currently trying to setup interviews with these various people. It might be somewhat of a struggle to meet with the more powerful, well known organizations, but I hope God will be on my side with this one and let things fluidly progress.

Happy Womens Day!

passing monkeys is as frequent as seeing opossums or lizards in your yard.
(basically you cant go a day w/o passing one)

My most recent purchase!
no, im not becoming a thief! im simply trying to limit my
daily intake of the diesel and not so pleasant rubbish
fragranted air, just like all the other Nepali.

I think I just got a preview of what the weather in May/June will be like. 80 degrees and suddenly out of no where, hailstorms!
I went to the college today to arrange more dates to meet with other organizations that I can work with. Also, March 17th is World Social Work Day and Nepal School of Social Work is participating in a 4 day event that will create awareness and opportunities for others to become active in the social work and human rights field.

Happy Holi!

It was around 6am when the first lolas (balloons filled with color powder, as it is believed the colors will take all the sorrow away and make life more colorful) were fired! All the rooftops were filled with children and adults armed with water guns, buckets filled of water and lolas. If you dared to walk on the street, you were destined to be bombed!
Of course, I did not go off the hotel site today! I watched from the rooftop and crouched around the plants in front of the hotel to take photos. People tried to aim at me but I dashed for cover quick enough to not get hit! The fun or nuisance, however you interpret it, only lasted until 6pm when everyone went inside to continue celebrating this festival of harmony with their families. Which finally meant I could walk off the hotel grounds without fear!

















ran from these kids! They were walking just outside the hotel

next door neighbors!

Neighbor war!

Haircut for .90 cents!

Since I have been here my hair has become extremely dry and dead so I figured I would go for a haircut! since its only 1 dollar! So I ventured down the street around to a nearby salon and asked for a trim. She didnt speak much English, and I dont speak a word of Nepali, but somehow I managed to get a trim, but giving facial expressions to the length she suggested of cutting off!, an amazing massage while she rubbed in oil to my dry hairs, and eyebrow threading for 30 cents!
I was wondering if I would be walking back with a head full of oil, but she asked if I would like shampoo. Of course I said yes, so there we go. downstairs to an unlit area where they take showers! She brings out a bucket of ice cold water, has me bend my head over and lathers my hair up with shampoo. There I was crouching down with my head bent over, having her wash and rinse my hair like mothers do to their babes!

Since I came at the time of load shedding, there was no electricity for I walked out with a wet head, but I figured it wouldnt matter if my hair was wet anyways since I keep getting bombed with water balloons! For those of you dont know, Sunday is the national holiday, Holi. Its marks the end of winter and is known as the Festival Colors. To celebrate people throw balloons filled with water and paint at people passing by. The children have already begun, and I have been hit about 6 times already with water, its like a war zone! You have to look in all directions and be ready to run for cover so you dont get hit! Im highly advised to stay in on Sunday!

My new hairdresser, eyebrow threader!
Where I got my oil rinsed out and hair shampooed!

Some photos

Kathmandu, the jungle!

Typical way to buy your produce.

they carry everything on their backs and head, its amazing how strong these people are!

a Newari Village! If you walked down one of these paths for 7 days you would reach India!

Bouddhanath Stupa, biggest stupa in the world

A day trip to Dhulikhel. A town about 40 mins outside Kathmandu

a reason why you dont drink Nepali water!

Living in a jungle with little electricity

Its been one week since Ive been in Kathmandu and there is so much to say and such little time to say it with the limited electricity and infrequent internet connection!

I didnt really know what to expect, but I can say Kathmandu is a disorderly, chaotic, functioning jungle! As my dad pointed out, the traffic is worse than India, but for some reason it works. People are driving, walking, biking in every direction and going through every possible gap to be that much closer to their destination and some how these people remain calm! I have yet to see,hear one argument, raised voice or angry tone. Nepalese are very calm, easy going, and non aggressive people, which is a huge change from NY. I was just getting a good grasp on being aggressive and assertive and now Im losing it! With the time that my dad and uncle were here, we were able to venture throughout this city and Kathmandu valley. Kathmandu is a loud, dirty, overpopulated city, but right outside there are green rolling hills, rows of mustard seed plants, all shades of colors throughout the houses, agriculture and clothing. It is absolutely beautiful here. Among all the touring we did among the temples, villages and nearby towns, my favorite was our morning flight over the Himalayas.

Though our first 8am flight was canceled due to bad weather, we managed to fly out the following morning after chasing down and paying way too much for a taxi(they were very limited since there was a protest that day that shut down the entire city) and only having a 3 hour delay! Being able to see Everest and some of the other tallest mountains in the world, was absolutely amazing. It is the most spectacular thing I have ever seen in my life. I understand why people live to climb to this other world.(photo from the flight..Everest is in the way back)

Since my dad and uncle returned to the States last night, I had my first official day here, alone! I went to the college in the morning and tomorrow morning I will be going to work at the NGO, Shakti Samuha! Im sure this organization doesnt ring a bell for anyone, but I have been trying to get in contact with them for months from the states without any success! As simple as a phone call, the field work advisor at the school managed to reach them and arrange my work.

Shakti Samuha is an organization that takes in trafficked victims and prepares them for reintegration. They provide housing for these victims while they are being educated on the trafficking industry and their own rights, as well as learning various vocational skills so they can have alternatives to providing for their families when they return home.

Hopefully Ill be more frequent with my posts and include more photos, but Nepal has something called 'load shedding,' which is for 11 random hours throughout the day. There are are set times when you have electricity, and for the most part they are not the most convenient hours. Even though some people have generators, they are not always on and if they are only allow for so much wattage to be in use at a time. So my access to the internet is quite limited as well!
Its been interesting getting used to, like trying on clothes in the dark!, taking a shower in the pitch black, etc! but all I can do now is laugh and truly appreciate the feasibility of electricity back in the States!

Soon enough Ill be off to Nepal!

I just bought my flight to Kathmandu, Feb 16- June 6th. My father will be accompanying me for the first week to make sure everything is legitimate and safe. It will be refreshing, Im sure, to have him by my side and to ease the transition into this new lifestyle.

I know I will be facing many difficulties that I am unaware of, but I am so ecstatic and eager for this experience, I cannot wait!