========================== Neel Kamal and Chandralekha Rah, Lucknow ========================== NeelKamal: In 1998, after finishing Inter (pre-university), I went to Lucknow University to continue studying. I always wanted to do something about my village and my community. At Lucknow, I met Sandeep [Sandeep Pandey, founder of Asha]. I was then working with an organization called Vivekananda Grameen Vikas Samstha as a teacher. While teaching, I got attached to the children and felt like doing something for children at his village. Sandeep encouraged me to work in my village. I went back to the village and started doing work. I faced problems and was looking for some guidance. I met Ajeet then, and went to Benaras to see his work. I was there for 15-20 days and visited the redlight area on each day. Ajeet: He came with me every day, and observed me dealing with the women and issues. He is from the village and knew what is to be done. I just helped him identify those and shared some approaches. NeelKamal: When I went to Ajeet's place, I found that the practice of prostitution was different at our place. I found many things that are better in my place. It [The redlight areain Benaras] is almost like a vegetable market. I came back with determination that I have to do something. I started a primary education center with the help of the villagers. Very soon we gathered the women and talked about alternatives to prostitution like good education. People reacted negatively and even threated us. The school is going on. The children who used to solicit the customers now study at the school - both girls ad boys. We started self-help groups as well. Keeping women's health in mind, we started an awareness campaign. We put up posters, distributed equipment(?), and went house to house to talk about health issues. There is very little awareness about AIDS or such diseases. When we started work, the women were distrustful and critical. We realized that we need closer relationship with them to be able to work with them. I built rapport with the women by talking with women. In every ward [street?] of the village, we started organizing the women and having weekly meetings. We discuss various issues related to the women including prostitution. When we formed a team of 5-7 people and started a cleaning campaign. The campaign made fun of us initially, but later the youth joined us. Now things have improved and the campaign is still going on. There are two problems in our village - prostitution and arrack. We launched an anti-arrack campaign. We noticed that children start having paan (betel nut), tambaku (tobacco) and cigarettes from very early on. Tambaku is used as a drug to put the children to sleep while customers visit. We started by making children not have any of these at school, and through them we start anti-arrack campaign. We showed several TV shows regarding the rights of the women. With an idea to expand, I began a survey of the nearby villages, but I met with an accident and could not complete the survey. However I have aquaintances in two other villages. They have asked me to come to their village and start a school for their children also. Future Plans: 1. A residential college for girls from nearby villages so that then can study in a healthy environment. I feel that with education, they will know about their rights. 2. There are people who push their daughters and sisters into the trade because of lack of money - they cannot marry the girls. We would like to create a corpus fund to marry off such girls. There were many people who are supportive of our efforts and with whom we have good relations. Chandralekhaji is one such person. Chandralekha: My parents pushed me into the trade some 30 years back. I was a prostitute for about 15 years. When my children grew up, they started questioning me about why I was doing this. I felt a loss of face and repented. Initially I didnt know where I was going and what I was getting into. My children were ashamed of me - they dont want to go out with me because of my profession. I began to realize my mistakes. You heard stories about prostitutes, but I have been one. Parents in this community are only after money, and for money they can sell off their daughters. They have no regard for any relationship. I have one daughter whom I keep away/separate from the village. I do not want her to mix with the villagers because I do not want the villagers to tempt her. I will not let her enter the trade at any cost. I talk to all girls and women in the village, and giving my example ask them not to be put into the business. I have been helping Neelkamal and his school. I am inspired by his good work. Apte: [To Chandralekha] Do you with Neelkamal? Chandralekha: Yes. Hansa: How many children are there in the school? Neelkamal: About 120 children are enrolled, but about 80 children attend. Rajaram: Is this Natpurwa near Lucknow or well into the rural area? Neelkamal: It is in the rural belt. It is 70 km from the Lucknow. Anita: Rajaram's question was on the clientele. Neelkamal: People from the local areas as well as from the cities. Anita: Can you tell us about the history of this village? Neelkamal: There was one Raja Layak Singh whose created this village to keep mistresses. Ajeet: Can you tell us about the Nat community? Chandralekha: Nats were a nomadic community. Any one who allowed them to stay exploited them. Nobody would marry these girls and they had to enter the profession. Julia: Who is part of the SHGs? Neelkamal: Some are practicing prostitution and some who have left. Right now they are pooling in money. Apte: Are girls trafficked from outside? Neelkamal: No. In Hardoi and Sitapur districts there are 10 such districts. Julia: The school has upto 5th grade? Do they go to a government school after that grade? Neelkamal: The school has upto 5th class. We need a secondary school because otherwise they will go back and join the trade. Rajaram: Is the situation in all states? I was under the impression that the source of trafficking was rural areas and the destination was urban areas. Is prostitution as a profession practiced in large numbers in rural areas of other states as well? Stanly: For commercial sexual exploitation, the source areas are rural and demand areas are towns, not necessarily metro areas. Apart from religion-based prostitution (e.g., Mathammas and Yellammas) and traditional forms of prostitutions are there in some rural areas. Manavade: In almost villages there is both temple-based prostitution and traditional prostitution. Stanly: I dont think. In our area, you cant find prostitution as such in rural areas. You can find extra marital relationships in rural areas. It is difficult to have typical protitution in villages of Karnataka. Manavade: Extramarital relationship is also one kind of prostitution. Stanly: No. Ajeet: These areas serve as source areas for town-based prostitution. This has increased of late. Stanly: Traditional and commercial prostitution are merging. Stanly: How many houses? Neelkamal: There are 150 houses, out of which prostitution is practiced in 45% of the households. Apte: This is also related to infant mortality.