India (MNN) — The magnitude of the human trafficking situation in India has only come out in the media recently. According to the U.S. State Department, half a million women are trafficked each year. Most of the 150,000 women trafficked in southern Asia are prostitutes in
India.
India Partners is actively fighting against this modern day slavery that often involves threats, coercion, and abuse in addition to servitude slavery. They recently began getting involved in helping girls under the age of 18 who have been trafficked. "We are praying and working with other organizations to help rescue these girls from the brothels and from the prostitution trade and to free them into safe homes and into vocational training so they can get a new start in their lives," said Brent Hample.
With funding, India Partners is able to provide for partner ministries in India who are working
directly with those girls. "A lot of it is education, vocational training, rescue and of course, ministry–sharing with them the love of Jesus Christ and showing that there is hope, that they can have encouragement and that God loves them."
Over the past few years, India Partners has helped rescue between 50 and 100 girls. These girls have been taught life skills, such as reading, writing, and sewing in a safe home.
The ministry is difficult, says Hample, but spiritually rewarding. "They've been so brainwashed, so to speak, by the prostitution industry, that they don't know how to have healthy, positive, Godly relationships with people. It's starting from scratch for some of them, teaching them how to interact, how to conduct themselves in appropriate manners. Some girls do come to know Christ."
Hample says people can get involved in rescuing these girls in three ways: getting educated,
praying, and providing funds.
