Revolutionary Daughters

We are constantly learning about horrible things that happen to human beings on our planet every day and then we change the channel and watch the sports or Modern Family and just like that after our 5 seconds of ‘feeling bad’ life goes on. After all what can we really do to fix it …right?

Last week I watched 2 documentaries about the plight of sex workers in India. I was dumb struck. It was like an asteroid hitting earth in those Hollywood end of the world style movies.

The Day My God Died, is a documentary which covers the plight of young Nepalese girls who are drugged and stolen across the border and then forced to work in brothels in India. It is names after a common phrase used by sex-workers to describe the day they were sold into the business. Listening to their stories of torture, pain and entire childhoods spent hiding under beds in brothels until they are old enough to be sold into prostitution themselves, was enough to make me want to will myself to death at the fact that I share the earth with people who would do this to children.

But then this woman appears and she runs an organisation called Maiti, which patrols the Nepalese border and frees these women, gives them a home, medical care, sends their kids to school and gives them a second chance at life.  Ok so maybe there is some hope, just a sliver but hope nonetheless.

And then I saw Revolutionary Daughters. It was a revelation!!! 2 Indian women in their twenties that house daughters of sex-workers. They give them a home and send them to school, counsel them and teach them English, self-defence and current affairs. Their aim is to raise revolutionaries. At least 100 of them in the next 5 years.

I was overwhelmed. This was much more than a glimmer. Far more than sitting on their asses feeling bad and uncomfortable but doing nothing. A few women who are going out there against a massive enemy for no personal gain and fighting the sex-trade head on.

There are at least 8.4 million child slaves in the world today, many of them in the sex trade  and the brothel owners don’t stop selling them for a single minute so we should be out there fighting for them every second !

Please watch :  

* Revolutionary Daughters: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/activate/2011/09 /20119201347556456.html

*The Day My God Died: http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DBV5W6F4L5i8