Creating Freedom through Business in Calcutta, India

Dear Friends,

Last night I had the privilege to hear a man by the name of Kerry Hilton, a native New Zealander, who has started a remarkable business called Freeset for victims of sex trafficking in Calcutta, India. As Hilton described it, he had a vision to create a business of freedom to counteract the business of trafficking.

I was both saddened and inspired to hear about the stories of the women and children trapped in slavery in this region. According to Hilton, 10,000 women and children within one mile typically service 20,000 men that visit the area. When Hilton mentioned that many women sell their bodies just to feed their children, tears started to welling in my eyes. I also became emotional when he spoke about a mother that came to him for a job because her daughter, age 11, was severely malnourished from not eating. As Hilton stated, "I thought she was going to die right in front of me."

Despite all of this sadness, Hilton also spoke of the women's amazing resilience, the power of their community, and the self-esteem women have gained through dignified work. To show the power of community, Hilton spoke of how the women have split their wages to help each other out and how they pray every morning for the women and children still entrapped in slavery. He also said that the women feel proud about the products they have created.

After hearing Hilton speak last night, I found myself with a whole different perspective. As I entered my bathroom, I remembered Hilton saying that often times entire families will live in a space the size of a bathroom. As I went to eat dinner, I remembered the story of the 11 year old malnourished girl and felt so grateful for food. As I purchased a soda today, I remember Hilton stating that some women are paid as little as $.50 for their bodies. And.....most importantly, I remembered how lucky I am as a woman to grow up in America and have opportunities to educate myself and to earn a decent living.

I have always felt and still feel that the ONLY difference between these women and myself is just a matter of circumstances. As a woman, I recognize the horrible inequalities that exist around the world and the suffering that many women and children must endure.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and please check out Hilton's site at, http://freesetglobal.com/who-we-are/our-story.html. If you live in the DC area and would like to get more involved in trafficking issues, please check out DC Stop Modern Slavery at http://www.stopmodernslavery.org/. For those of you not in the DC area, I encourage to look up Meetup groups at Meetup.com to see what community groups are doing.

Have a great evening and keep fighting for freedom! Please forward this blog to your friends.

-Shelley