Today was rough, emotionally. We went and toured the massage parlors. Behind the tourist streets down little alleys lie the massage parlors and dance clubs where women are working as prostitutes.
As we ascended the stairs a literal darkeness swept over everyone. All light left and it was so heavy you could feel it.
When we entered the small shanty there were makeshift rooms with a single bed in each.
I cannot express the feelings that overcame us. At the second shop we talked with the women. One told us her story of how she left her husband because he was abusive and an alcoholic and she was the sole provider for her two young daughters. She had no where else to go and had to work at the massage parlor where she serviced 10+ men a day for the last few years. She rents a room and has to leave the girls home alone. When the police come they have to pay the police or be arrested. As she told her story she began to cry. Menuka offered her services and said she would take the girls during the day while she was forced to work. The next place was a workplace of one of the moms of the kids here in the shelter. She was married, arranged, at 14. After being raped the husband left her bc she gave birth to a girl. The woman tried to go home but the grandfather then abused her daughter. She was forced to flee and ended up at the massage parlor. Menuka found her and the daughter lives here at the shelter while the mother is getting training so that she can get out of the prostitution.
Menuka said of the 200 massage parlors only 15 are legit and the rest deal in prostitution. The man in charge controls everything and the women have to come and work for very little pay but they have no where else to go. No education, no skills, and no where to turn. It's a very broken system that is sickening and heart breaking. How do you change an entire way of thinking? A corrupt government? A society? The women need education and skills to be able to leave. They need help and they need a society that values women. This culture still has a class system. They still have arranged marriages. They still have shame based consequences. When so much of the country is in extreme poverty and no way out, how do you help? How do you work with a place that is so rural you can't even get into the villages without hiking all day? How do you get more schools so that children don't have to walk 3-5 hours to school and risk rape and abuse on the way? How do you inform people of the lies that fake 'helpers' tell them? How do you keep kids from being taken into the city for a better life only to be put into sexual trafficking? Where do we start? Well, I'm here. I'm learning. I'm telling you their story. There is hope. Raksha Nepal is an incredible organization. Menuka has devoted her life to helping these women and in so many ways. She not only rescues them but she then provides help for their children, gives them skills, helps them legally... she is an inspiration. There isn't much we can do from america but we can spread the word, we can donate. Giving money to the right organizations does help. They need funds to make changes and we can help. When I look at life here vs life in the US, I actually feel ill. It makes me sick to my stomach. How am I supposed to go home to my cush life and back to problems like: he said this, he doesn't like me, that boy didn't open the car door on a date, ugh the internet isn't fast enough.... yes, we all have problema but we are so blessed. So blessed. We need to be aware. We need to do more. And we can. That's the beauty. We can help, be it ever so small, we can. Rakshanepal.org check them out
Here are some notes I took today:
95 percent of Nepal is this jungle type so ppl have to walk hours to school and are lidnapped and raped on the way bc it's the middle of the jungle no clinic no help no one to hear them
Only 15 of 200 are real
Has 8 and 6 yr old had to leave husband bc he was an alcoholic and abusive kids stay home alone while she works 10-12 clients a day has to come here at 10 drops kids at school then comes here then after 4 school is closed and they have to walk home alone one day she came home at 9 pm and kids were missing- ended up being at friends. It kids have to take care of themselves she's been here for two years
They were staying with grandfather but he was bad so she had to take them and they have to be alone bc she has no one else to care for them
Wanted to take them somewhere safe like a school to live but can't afford it
So she is in a rented room now
Education was not priority to daughters- illiterate bc wasn't able to go to school parents discriminate male bs female
A lot of organizations will take kids and sell them so women can't trust those who offer help.
This is truly one of the darkest things I've ever experienced. And the contrast? Right after this wenheaded to a church meeting where Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the 12 was speaking to the branch here in nepal. They had finally translated the Book of Mormon into Nepali and the members were going to be able to read it in their native tongue for the first time, ever. It was so motivational and strong. Such a sweet spirit and we got to shake Elder Christoffersons hand and say hi.The stark contrast between dark and light was so strong.
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