Rotarians against Child Slavery

Posted by John Lynch 
 
 
 
Over 100 Rotarians attended an Information Night last Wednesday at Box Hill Town Hall. The event was organised by the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central. Approximately 20 Rotarians were present from our Club.
 
Rotarian Action Group against Child Slavery (www.racsrag.org) key objectives are:
Create awareness: Tell Rotarians and the wider public that millions of children are held captive for commercial gain.
Take action: Support, work with and and promote anti-slavery bodies and activities worldwide with programmes, campaigns and projects that help to protect children from slavery and its consequences.
 
Tony Stokes is the Victorian representative from the Action Group and he told us that it is estimated that 38 MILLION children live in slavery and that 60% of that number live in just FIVE countries – India, Pakistan, Russia, China and Uzbekistan.
 
Children are held captive in brothels, armies, gold mines, clothing factories, coffee plantations, and tuna fishing boats and in forced marriages
 
The keynote speaker was Dr Gillian Yudelman (right) a member of the Rotary Club of Claremont, WA. Gillian spoke about how she met Anuradha Koirala, an English teacher  who founded Maiti Nepal in 1993. Her aim was to  provide services for both children and women who have endured untold pain and suffering, often in silence. Children, girls and women were being trafficked within and from Nepal for commercial sexual exploitation. She set up Maiti Nepal with a vow to put an end to this heinous crime.
 
Maiti's focus has always been on prevention of girl trafficking, a burning issue for Nepal. Rescuing girls forced into prostitution and helping to find economic alternatives have been our key struggle. Rehabilitation, although not literally possible especially with former prostitutes, is one major challenge we have accepted in our work. The practical steps would be to counsel them and provide non-formal education on health, laws, basic reading and writing. They are also trained to develop income-generation skills and provided Maiti's shelter until they are ready to stand on their feet. The sexually abused girls, abandoned children, potential victims of trafficking, destitute women, prisoner's children, returnees from Indian brothels, girls and children infected with HIV and Hepatitis B, intercepted girls are the major target groups or say, beneficiaries of our programs.
More information about the reality of Child Slavery can be found at: