CIRCUS GIRLS

Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries and the border it shares with India has encouraged a lucrative trade of young girls working in circuses of the neighboring country.

Sarwati’s case is typical: when she was eight, she was sold to an Indian circus and became a juggler. When she turned fourteen she was forced to marry, and two years ago, when her husband died, her former husband’s brothers began to physically abuse her. To her aid came a British organization that works to rehabilitate young girls who work in Indian circuses, where hundreds of Nepalese girls live in deplorable conditions after being sold by their parents.

According to the sponsor of the NGO, about 350 girls were rescued between 2004 and 2011 after thirty inspections of circuses in northern India. "The girls are easy targets for traffickers, since in most cases they come from dysfunctional families and impoverished settings," he says. Although there is extensive documentation on the sale of Nepalese girls under ten to brothels, child trafficking to India, where there is a great circus tradition, was unknown. "Light-skinned and scantily clad girls are very exotic in India," says the promoter.

In 2002, the NGO launched a survey which found that girls who were sold to circuses where, on average, eight years old at the time of the transaction. Many of them suffer from physical and psychological violence in an environment where rape is not uncommon. The situation is very different from what the agents promise to the girls’ parents - they convince them to sign illegal contracts that promise a future of fame and prosperity for their daughters, but the first thing the girls ask for when rescued is to be given some food.

The NGO currently houses about 400 girls. Some have been rescued from the streets and others are taught by circus professionals after their "liberation". "It is a magical and very special experience", says the artist who trains them. She adds that she was surprised by the girls’ energy and joy, particularly those who have decided voluntarily to go back to performing, such Sarwati, who says: "Now I do it for fun and I enjoy it".

Source: terra

HOLIMADRID 2012

Since 2011, Fundación Asha-Kiran and Club Masala, with the support of the Municipal Council of Salamanca District (Madrid), managed to transmit the spirit of the Indian Holi festival in the streets of Madrid at Felipe II Square.

On Saturday March 24, we celebrated HoliMadrid 2012… and it was a total success!

For the second consecutive year, HoliMadrid 2012, on this occasion named "the great Indian madness" by the media, became a party with a strong cultural awareness component. The two organizers of HoliMadrid 2012 - Asha-Kiran and Club Masala - have close ties with India, its culture, its people and, above all, its difficulties in terms of social development. The HoliMadrid initiative arises precisely from the intent of both organizations to transmit to the people of Madrid the vulnerability of children in the country with the largest child population in the world, immersing the audience in a hundred-percent Indian atmosphere.

On March 24, more than 2500 people packed the Felipe II Square in Salamanca district - they danced to Bollywood music, got to know situation of Street Children, put in their bit to support the cooperation projects that Asha-Kiran carries out with said children, enjoyed a shower of colors, and (the little ones) painted colorful pictures to exchange with Indian children.

See the full Report by clicking here.

"UNWANTED"

Having been named “Unwanted” by their parents at birth, a total of 222 girls will receive new names in a function organized by Indian authorities. The ceremony will take place in Satara district with the aim of promoting the prestige of these girls from western Maharashtra, where at present only 881 girls are born for every 1000 boys due to selective abortions and feticide.

In India, the preference for male children is painfully obvious - a son carries the lineage, inherits property and cares for his elderly parents, whereas in the case of a daughter, parents ‘lose’ her when she marries and must additionally pay a large dowry to the groom’s family.

In Satara district, authorities carried out an investigation to find out how many girls were named Nakushi (Unwanted), after a district health officer discovered the name in a register - there were 222 in total. "Parents do this to make it clear that they did not want a baby girl. This area has very fertile fields and a flourishing industry, and parents believe that boys can work the land and make more money", said the officer. "These cases tend to occur among poor families. They don’t usually do it with their first girl child but with the second or third, when they consider her to be a burden", he added.

According to the information officer, the girls will be able to choose their future name during the public ceremony, a name that can represent their own wish to be alive and loved.

Source: infobae.com

HOLI FESTIVAL

Finally, the much awaited Holi Festival rolled around once more to dye two days with color and joy. Yashodhara lived this day with great enthusiasm - Holi, the festival of color celebrated at the beginning spring, always coincides with the full moon. During spring, the weather changes and is believed to cause fever and colds. Throwing colored powders at one another has a healing significance: colors are traditionally made of nim, kumkum, jaldi, bilva and other medicinal herbs.

Holika is the first day. A big pile of wood is made and all the evil spirits are burnt at night. This is the symbolic burning of evil. Children scamper around a fire shouting and whistling with great emotion. Dinner is prepared in a special way that night – sweet chapati is served together with milk.

The second day, the celebration is an explosion of color. The children prepare colored powder and buckets. Then, they fill up balloons with colored water and throw colored powder at anyone within reach. Everyone ends up stained and wet, and the children have loads of fun. The mosaic of colors covering faces and bodies is a truly beautiful sight. Among laughter and fun, gratitude arises from being able to enjoy the children at Yashodhara one more year.

Eshana Alcover

DENTAL CARE

Asha-Kiran organized a one-day dental checkup camp for the children of our School for Labour Workers project, which includes all minors between 3 and 18 years of age at our three Centers located at construction sites. The camp was organized in collaboration with Mother Teresa Memorial Hospital in Hadapsar (Pune). The adults (parents of the children at construction sites) were also included in the screenings.

We covered approximately 85 children, working from a well-equipped Mobile Dental Clinic. Patients were screened inside the mobile clinic, and the dentist prescribed treatments for those who needed them. For further treatment and follow-up, the patients were encouraged to visit the nearest branch of Mother Teresa Memorial Hospital, where they will get low-cost treatment with the help of Asha-Kiran.

The goal behind this activity is to improve the oral health of the children living in laborers’ communities by providing quality dental care, showing them how to access inexpensive and optimal dental services, and organizing Dental Health Education activities related to oral hygiene and good eating habits.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN - 2012

"The State of the World's Children 2012: children in an urban world”, UNICEF’s flagship report, focuses on vulnerable children in urban areas. One billion children live in urban areas, a figure that is rapidly increasing. However, disparities within cities show that many of them lack access to schools, health care and sanitation, despite living next to these services.

"We are approaching a tipping point”, said Abid Aslam, editor of the publication. "A growing number of people are being born in existing urban environments, and what worries us is that for a large number of children, these are extremely hostile environments ". They do not know where they are going to live next year, or next month or even next week, let alone whether they can go to school or have access to potable water sources”, "says Mr. Aslam.

The UNICEF report contradicts the idea that all children living in cities are better off than those of rural communities. On the contrary, it shows that although disadvantaged children live just minutes from schools and health clinics, they have no access to them due to poverty and discrimination.

The report highlights the lack of data on the conditions prevailing in the slums, especially in regard to children, and raises awareness of the need for a greater political will take action to improve the lives of marginalized people. It also points out that the same children and families who are excluded from the opportunities offered by urban life can make improvements that benefit everyone. Examples from cities around the world show the benefits that greater representation and participation in municipal affairs entail.

According to Aslam, "The report presents evidence that we all benefit when in decision-making processes are included, as is their right, poor and marginalized people whose voices are rarely heard”. When those who are excluded are taken into account in planning and decision-making on urban issues, advances in areas such as literacy, infrastructure and security are bound to follow.

Source:UNICEF

MAPPING INDIGNITY

A villager in southwestern India has developed the country's first online mapping platform that documents the multitude of abuses, rapes and murders committed daily against women there, to awaken people to the extent and horrors of such crimes.

Despite strong laws, girls and women in largely patriarchal India face a barrage of threats including rape, dowry-related murder, forced marriage, domestic violence and human trafficking.

Construction engineer and former software developer Shemeer Padinzjharedil, 29, said he was shocked, and inspired, by a poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which rated India as the fourth most dangerous place for women in the world. "I was so angry I thought I would prove them wrong. But after research, I found that it really is true. It's just that the Indian media is not portraying it with as much seriousness."

"There are lots of news reports about crimes against women, but there really is nowhere where they are documented. The stories just get archived and the woman or girl just becomes a statistic, a number, that matters to no one," he said. "On my platform, maps4aid, not only do you see the statistics, but you can read the stories, which really helps people understand the terrible things that happen to our women. I would say what I have mapped is just a small drop in the ocean", he said, adding that most cases are not even reported due to the shame and stigma that victims fear even from their own families.

"For the Indian girl, it starts when she is in the womb where she risks being aborted. When she is born, they abuse and rape her. When she grows, they force her into marriage where she is harassed and possibly killed for dowry," he said. "When you look at the bigger picture, it's a huge achievement for a girl in India to survive to adulthood at all."

Source: CRIN (Child Rights International Network)