| Fighting Human Trafficking, Sex Trafficking and Slavery with Social Enterprise

Back in Action...

Submitted by Paul on Thu, 08/05/2010 - 15:32

It's been a full week since I've been back in India and it's been a whirlwind of emotions and memories. I've seen familiar faces that I've missed dearly and it feels good to be back in the company of such amazing people. On my first day back at the jewelry program the girls threw me a surprise welcome back party with balloons, confetti, streamers and candy! I was also treated to several performances of dance and song and was eventually pulled into the fun and danced along with them. It was one of the best days of my entire life and one I will remember and think about often for as long as I live. It made me realize how much of an impact someone can have on another persons life, even in a small amount of time. They have become a second family for me and it's a relationship I will cherish forever.

Ashchee, dear survivors, ashchee!

Submitted by Becky Bavinger on Fri, 07/16/2010 - 00:26

It's 5am as I write this blog, sitting in Smarita's living room. The crows are already starting their morning rounds and the sun is shining through the windows. Any other day I'd actually enjoy this moment. But I'm leaving in an hour, and don't have the emotional strength to appreciate the natural beauty.

Salute to Becky Bavinger!

Submitted by Paul on Thu, 07/15/2010 - 22:48

This week Becky Bavinger, Co-Founder of Destiny/Reflections and TEN's representative in India is coming back to the United States after 3 years of living and working in India. Becky has done an amazing job of positively impacting the lives of hundreds of people that she has come in contact with over the years and her impact will be felt for a very long time to come. Words can not express how invaluable and successful Becky has been and we at TEN/Made By Survivors consider ourselves lucky to have had her partnership. This weekend, as Becky takes the next step in her journey at NYU this fall, we want to take some time to honor her and the work she has done.

How do I say goodbye?

Submitted by Becky Bavinger on Thu, 07/01/2010 - 17:18

In two weeks from today, I'll be leaving India for good. Well, at least for two years. Over the last few months the women at Destiny and at the shelter homes have made some forelorn comments, "Becky di, you're leaving and then you'll forget us." But I keep ignoring it and responding that I don't want to hear anything about me leaving until the day I actually leave. This past week has been especially hard though, because I'm going on a jewelry trip to Delhi and Jaipur tomorrow and needed to say goodbye just for a week.

New Meaning for "Stay in Touch"

Submitted by Becky Bavinger on Thu, 05/06/2010 - 10:16

Often times we come across survivors who are taking training in shelter homes but want to come out and work. But because of legal issues, or psychological issues, they are not able to leave. So they stay in the home, and we always encourage them to work hard and learn the skill well so that they can get a well-paying job when they leave.

Language Lessons from Survivors

Submitted by Becky Bavinger on Wed, 04/28/2010 - 05:25

First, let me preface this with the fact that I've never taken a Bengali class, I cannot read or write in Bengali, and the grammar/vocabulary I know of the language comes from women and children in red light districts. So I most certainly do not claim to know proper Bengali. Most of the time I end up saying things like "I to the market went tomorrow vegetables buying." But whatever, I make myself understood.

Emergency Housing for Survivors

Submitted by Becky Bavinger on Thu, 04/15/2010 - 13:04

In the last six months, Smarita and I have both accommodated several survivors at our homes. This was due to lack of any other opportunities - there are no emergency shelter homes in Kolkata for victims of abuse. Women would show up at our office, having been beaten nearly to death, saying that they need a place to stay. The first time this happened, Smarita allowed the young woman to stay in her home. The next week, another woman came, having been beaten and kicked out of the house by her brother.

Survivors taking new responsibilities at Destiny

Submitted by Becky Bavinger on Sun, 04/11/2010 - 09:29

This week has been an absolute roller coaster at the Destiny center. Over the last few weeks, it's come to our attention that several of the women are consistently late to work. And I don't mean 5-10 minutes late, I mean a good 45 minutes late. And many of them bunk work without informing us. So over the weekend, Smarita and I decided to enforce a small fine for anyone who arrives more than 15 minutes late to work. We thought this would be a good way to motivate the women to come on time, and use the money to buy sweets for everyone at the end of the month.

Kindergarten in the Red Light District

Submitted by Becky Bavinger on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 06:32

Last week I had to go to the Kidderpore red light district to deliver a donation of toothbrushes and toothpaste. I've been many times to the drop-in-center, but always in the afternoon because most of the children are in school until 2pm. But that day I reached at 10am and saw for the first time the "day creche" for children under 5 years. It was literally a garden of kinder! They were all seated on a mat, writing the English alphabet on their mini-blackboards, some with their tongues hanging out in concentration. I was thoroughly impressed by how well-behaved they were.

The Reality of My Dreams

Submitted by Paul on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 18:23

Today was one of those days where I just wanna take hold of Kolkata and scream at her. This is a very rough city and it gets to you after awhile, especially when it gets hot. Being that today was Saturday I really just wanted to chill out and have a nice relaxing day. Of course thats almost an impossible task to accomplish in this city.

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