Remembering: A love Letter

Another Glimpse!

In 1996, Indian Brothels were raided and many women and girls rescued.  Many of these women and girls were Nepali.  Nepal did not want to receive them home because it was thought these women would bring the AIDS virus with them.  The Nepali government ignored these women and girls.  Seven NGO's worked together to bring them back to Nepal... but what about home? (Please go to Shakti Samahu, a wonderful organization formed by these women survivors for more information.
(shaktisamuha.org.np))

How do you find HOME when your country would like to dismiss the idea of your citizenship?
How do you return HOME when systemic shame and family fear tell you to never return?
What is HOME?  What does it mean to feel at home, when the place you lived for the last long stretch of time, was a place of pain suffering and degradation in even unimaginable ways?

In the second week of being in Nepal, I spent one day with teenage girls who had been rescued from human trafficking and were being cared for in a home provided by the Shakti Samuha organization.
I experienced such welcome from these girls in their excitement and great willingness to help us move into play through their smiles and laughter and determination to have fun.  I experienced these girls as wonderfully endearing, energetic young folks who desired to be found lovable by us, beautiful by us, seen by us, remembered by us.  And it was easy to do just that.

How do you forget young girls with so much love and joy and dignity and ability to welcome you?  How do you forget these beautiful bright spirits who still have such courage to risk engaging in relationship with anyone after suffering at the hands of other human beings so powerfully?  How do you forget the genuine joy and need for hugs and the need for soothing young bodies that had been   awoken to pain rather than protected for days of experiencing matured beauty?

How do you forget that these young girls are no longer welcomed "home" by their families? These wonderful delightful young women will suffer a stigmatization that brings more weariness to their very bones unless there experiences of being trafficked are kept from public awareness.  How does one forget that these girls must fight now for their citizenship in some cases.  How does one forget that these girls must walk through processes of healing and will need tremendous support, which won't come from communities of their origin and birth most likely.  How does one forget that simply because they are female in a male dominated world, they will have obstacles at every turn to regaining their dignity.  How does one provide support that never becomes pity or charity or sympathy which only would continue to devalue the strength, courage, intelligence and resiliency within them to find their way into dignified presence in this world?!

I am home now, and I cannot forget that at the very least, 17,000 women and children are trafficked into the US every year and that more than 300,000, yes three hundred thousand teenage girls are at risk of being trafficked in the US.  I am at home now and I remember that laws need to be written and enforced to protect women and children.  I remember that parents and teens need to be educated more furiously about the realities of exploitation of teenagers and children.  I remember that border patrols can be used to protect children from being trafficked rather than treating children like enemies to be incarcerated, expunged or expelled.  I remember, that we the Human Community are responsible for the victimization of women and children.  I remember too, it is the Human Community that must bear the shame of being responsible for the existence of a Global Economy made robust in large part by the trafficking of human beings!

The young woman I spent time with at the home for girls at Shakti Sanuha and at the Third National Conference for Women Survivors, spoke many things to me through her lovely face, curious heart and deeply longing eyes... and nothing was more powerful than her continual refrain...
                                 
                                      "You Won't Forget Me Will You?"

No, I won't forget you,
                        your smile, your face
                                your deep set eyes, your physical grace
My time with you, embedded deeply
                moving forward
                        you
 Living how weeping
                      turns to dancing
                          you
       Beautiful, Courageous, Strong, Wise Teacher!
                      OH YES!
I will remember you...
                  and be grateful to you...
                                 for restoring more fully, my humanity ...


All my love,
Mary

the DANCE

Amongst the days in Nepal was one shared by our Harambee Arts Team, Manuka Thapa the Chairperson of Raksha Nepal and many Women who are a part of Raksha Nepal.  Raksha Nepal seeks to provide pathways for women to exit exploitive circumstances which so often serve as their only option for feeding their children and staying alive.

We spent a joyous day with over 50 women who experience or are contributing to ending exploitation and sexual violence.  In all honesty it doesn't matter whose experience is which, we were about 70 women total who came together to remind each other that our suffering Does Not Define Who We Are!  We are gloriously formed, beautiful women, created for beautiful purpose, containing within ourselves great capacity for laughter, celebration, sharing, caring and loving-kindness!

In entering our shared space, pain was palpable for me in silent ways. I sensed pain in expressions, postures, eyes, in myself too.  As a member of the Harambee Arts team, I am aware of the brutal exploitation which fills everyday existence for many women we will spend the day with.  If we had come with any other attitude accept to share in a day of joy, I do believe we would have done more damage.  We did not come to "help", to "rescue", to define problems, we came to remember together our identity as women.  Together we reminded each other our spirits are strong, our laughter infectious, our hearts able to open up to loving-kindness, and our generosity in receiving and giving exquisite to experience!  We are resourceful, beautiful, women able to bring healing and vibrancy and beauty and laughter into any circumstance when securing the freedom to do so.  And we will continue to work towards securing the freedom to be change agents in this world, in this generation, in our communities, in this world!

May you experience the JOY as you view the photos of the dancing Lionesses!  The Raksha Nepal and Harambee Arts Women,

             
                                                 Together, bearing HOPE into the world!