No Human is For Sale

During my time in India, I had the chance to visit Odanani Seva Semsthe, a social, non-governmental organization established by social activists Stanley and Parashuram based in Mysore, India. Odanani focuses on rescuing, rehabilitation, reintegration, and empowerment of trafficked and sexually exploited women and children. During our excursion, I had the opportunity to interact with many adolescent women who have been trafficked for most of their lives. Many of these women were forced to involve themselves in the sex trade in exchange for a warm meal. They have become victims of crime and faces of shame. On account of the visit, I was left speechless and stunned in both positive and negative ways. Therefore, I have decided to explore the topics I have encountered while in Odanani Seva Semsthe.

We had the opportunity to directly hold an open discussion with Stanley who was able to familiarize us with their organization. When coming to Odanani, many children and women have to face the consequences and traumas of past trafficking experiences. The most common mental health problems associated with human trafficking are depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-harm, and suicide risk. Stanley also added that many women and children who experienced such events are lacking their own identity because they have been seen as objects and traded as such most of their lives. In Odanani, women tend to speak up about their past experiences from time to time, yet children there do not talk because they most of the time don’t even have an understanding of what sex is and what exactly they have experienced. One of the survivors has shared her story with us about how she was brought to work at a very young age without knowing what it entails. She was asked to perform body messages on men when she was being sexually abused for trade. She had no way of escaping, so pleasing around 20 men a day became anything far from a rare occurrence. Society holds responsibility for this. As Pope Francis has said, “When no one is to blame, everyone is to blame”.

Stanley stated that the problem is men because in most cases they and their perverted desires are what leads to this cause. Men compared to women are not much introduced to and advised on the topics of sex and companionship, they are mostly never educated on how to act. To make life easier for women, men need to be educated. There is a lack of sexual education for children and adolescents in schools. To make a difference, children in schools need to have a basic understanding of gender. Moreover, demonstrations for particularly men need to be in place. Unless men’s psyche changes, women's empowerment will be always limited and never be accomplished. Odanani has been involved in the community by spreading awareness, creating campaigns, and influencing social and legal change centering on anti-trafficking. Some of their featured works include a worldwide fundraising yoga event called “YOGA STOPS TRAFFICK”, an annual event “Women Achievers Rally”, and campaigns “Real Men” and “Art and Theater”.  For instance, the “Real Men” campaign has been promoting gender equality and respect for women through theatre plays that attract a handful of audiences.

Odanani means a soulmate, someone who is there for you in your life and that is what this organization strives to do for the rescued women and children in every way. Their goals are to provide the victims with shelter, food, education, vocational training, health care, and counseling. Moreover, they understand how difficult it is for the victims to move on with their lives. Something such as going back to their family, finding a job, or establishing a marriage is terrifying for the victims to do on their own. The team at Odanani helps many along their paths to feeling happy and fulfilled again. Upon interacting with the survivors, I have gathered many positive insights about the personal progress they have accomplished during their recovery time at Odanani. Many mentioned that they like the way Odanani looks after them and cares for them as you are their family, some said that they appreciate Odanani caring for their newborns the same way their cares for them, and some noted that Odanani empowers them and allows them to learn new things. Odanani uses tools such as counseling. yoga, karate, art, and acupuncture help residents regain their mental strength. Additionally, they offer bakery, driving, or beauty training to make survivors feel strong and empowered.  

My experience at Odanani left me wondering about how we can aid and the solutions we can provide to many victims and survivors. I have realized that the issue of human trafficking is widely spread across the globe and millions of humans are still trapped. Many organizations such as Odanani are working in efforts to rescue and rehabilitate victims of trafficking. However, no human being deserves to be treated in such a way. The aftermath of suffering is what leaves many with unresolved trauma. I aspire to one day be of help to the victims of sexual tracking and to be able to uplift their lives upon such experiences.

References:

Odanadi: United Against Human Trafficking. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.odanadi.org/

Ottisova L, Smith P, Shetty H, Stahl D, Downs J, Oram S. Psychological consequences of child trafficking: An historical cohort study of trafficked children in contact with secondary mental health services. PLoS One. 2018 Mar 8;13(3):e0192321. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192321. PMID: 29518168; PMCID: PMC5843209.

Ottisova L, Hemmings S, Howard LM, Zimmerman C, Oram S. Prevalence and risk of violence and the mental, physical and sexual health problems associated with human trafficking: an updated systematic review. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2016 Aug;25(4):317-41. doi: 10.1017/S2045796016000135. Epub 2016 Apr 12. PMID: 27066701; PMCID: PMC7137602.