In 22 years of working with children rescued from trafficking in South Asia, the story below is one the most remarkable I’ve shared.
Many years ago, when Divya was 9, her father passed away. The local priest said he died because Divya was cursed, and told Divya’s mom to get rid of her.
Sadly, her mom took his advice and took her to a train station. She told Divya to wait while she got snacks – but she never came back.
Divya was abandoned.
That night, railway cops found Divya and sold her to a woman who managed a brothel.
Divya didn’t understand what was happening. The woman told her, “I have bought you now, you will earn for me.”
It was awful. There were usually 10 men a day. Divya was barely allowed to sleep and lived for a cup of rice each day.
For three years, Divya never left the brothel. She blamed her mom and swore she would never forgive her.
But, I am grateful to tell you that when Divya was 12, her time in the brothel came to an end. She and the other children there were rescued.
When they arrived at an LFTI transition home, Divya thought it was another brothel. The staff explained she was safe, but she didn’t sleep at all. She expected customers to come in. But no one did.
The next day, she asked, “So what is my job in this place?” The staff replied, “Your job is to be a child and learn to live as part of a family.”
Slowly, Divya began to trust that she was safe and not expected to work like in the brothel. She talked a lot with a counselor and for the first time, she went to school. She loved it!
Today, Divya is an adult. She says, “The time in the LFTI home was one of the most joyful times of my life.”
After many months, she went home permanently with her adoptive mom and dad. I still remember her big smile that day!
Her parents gave her a lot of opportunities. They sent her to college and she got her Master’s degree. She got married and had a beautiful little girl!
Divya recently reflected, “Everything was going great. After everything I went through as a child, I couldn’t believe I had so much love in my life.”
Then, something really wild happened.
I will share the final installment of Divya’s story next week.
But right now, I want to ask if you would please consider helping children like Divya by becoming a monthly supporter.
The need is great. Our expenses are skyrocketing due to second waves of COVID-19 across South Asia. Your monthly gifts will cover rising costs for groceries, housing, education, and counseling (which costs $1,485 or $124/month per child).
To meet these ongoing challenges, LFTI urgently needs an additional $2,500 each month, committed by September 30. I KNOW we can meet this critical goal!
So, will you start a monthly gift of $30, $60, $124 or more today?
Your ongoing support will ensure children like Divya get the life-saving care they need.
Thank you for considering it.
Sincerely,
Sam
South Asia Program Director
