Update from India

I've been in India
for almost two weeks now and have been thoroughly enjoying every
second of my adventure (well, almost every second...those seconds
which include bats, toads, wild boars, and giant beetles have not
been as enjoyable). This summer I have the great privilege of
working with the Dalit Freedom Network and the Operation Mercy India Foundation here in Hyderabad, India. I'll be serving in the anti-human
trafficking department, which is a brand new department for the
organizations. I'm thrilled that I have this opportunity to assist
in the designing and implementation of this very critical operation.
The organizations are specifically trying to meet the needs of women
and girls who have been trafficked in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh;
Belgaum, Karnataka; Bangalore, Karnataka; and New Delhi by opening
four anti-human trafficking units.

My assignment is
to work with the anti-human trafficking team to design a system of
after-care units for women who have been rescued from commercial sex
exploitation and trafficking The centers aim to provide holistic
treatment to these women and girls who have spent a portion of their
lives as forced prostitutes. I can't comprehend the trauma they've
been through. I am thanking God that I get to play a tiny role in
the process of restoration for their broken and hurting spirits. The
anti-human trafficking units we are creating will offer: medical and
psychological care; legal assistance; training programs to teach the
women a practical skill (like jewelry making, sewing, etc.) so that
they can support themselves; provisions for basic needs—shelter,
food, clothing; and spiritual guidance and support.

At times while I
am working, I am overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the problem of
human trafficking in India. I only have one year of law school under
my belt...what am I going to do in a single summer to really make a
difference? God is graciously teaching me that no, I likely won't
end human trafficking during this internship, but if even one woman
is rescued from the dark world of trafficking or ministered to by the
work we are doing, then we can consider our work a tremendous
success. The statistics of victims are overwhelming (experts
estimate between 12 and 27 million people have been trafficked
worldwide), but I feel so blessed to get to serve and love a few of
these precious souls while I'm here. I'm so grateful to the
Pepperdine School of Law and its generous donors who have made this
internship a reality for me.

--Tracey Brown