Namaste

I have a great deal of respect for the work New Light is dedicated to. The mission of New Light is to promote gender equality through education and life-skill training and reduce the harm caused by violence and abuse to women and young children.

More than anything, I’m grateful I made time in my life to volunteer with them this summer.

The children in the Red Light District are in an environment where they see men treating women with complete disregard for their well-being, and where women in the sex industry are viewed as property. The children are growing up in this incredibly harsh environment, which is why New Light is so vital. They’ve established trust with the surrounding community and are able to provide the mothers in the sex industry a place where their children will be safe and cared for. At New Light they will receive an education and be instilled with the belief that they are valued and can pursue whatever dreams they may have. These children are incredibly resilient, utterly unique and so full of life. To be able to contribute to this nurturing environment - generating self-esteem and empowerment discussions, fostering children’s confidence and self-respect and teaching trauma informed yoga - has been an honor.

To simply be able to spend time with these children and young adults, see the same faces day to day, get to know their names, their stories and simply hug them has been a complete joy.

And New Light exists not only for the children but also the women of this community. They believe that becoming a sex worker is never a choice and in Urmi Basu’s words, “…every person in every corner of this world needs to raise a voice and say this has to stop.” One of New Light’s roles is ‘rescue and rehabilitation’. One of their programs that support this is the Aanchal Project, which creates a sustainable avenue of employment and income for exited or ready-to-exit sex workers. To be able to speak with these women, take care of them in the clinics and to simply be able to say Namaste has been a gift.

In my work with SafeHouse Center in the United States, I meet with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence immediately following an assault and for months afterwards in support groups. I understand the scars one assault leaves on a person and how deep they go. I see it in my work with SafeHouse, I’ve seen it in family and friends, and I’ve experienced it myself. Some pain will always stay with you, but it does not have to dictate the rest of your life or define who you are.

The sex workers in the Red Light District endure not one, but multiple assaults each day, compounded by years of working on the streets. These women endure and they survive. I’ll pass these women on the streets, some of them mothers of the children living at New Light, and will always bring my palms together and say Namaste, which means my soul honors your soul. I honor the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within you, because it is also within me. In sharing these things we are united, we are one. And these women will bow their heads in return and smile: always these gorgeous smiles.

I’ve experienced the profound ripple effects one assault has on your life. But I will only ever understand a piece of what these women endure. That one piece though, gives me such respect for them.

These children and women may live halfway across the world but their stories and their lives should affect us all. They are courageous. They have an immense inner strength. And each one of them have a great deal to offer this world.

I bow down to the children, the women and the staff of New Light. Thank you New Light for giving me the chance to be a part of all your lives.

And I was able to keep a blog during my time working with New Light. I've put some posts on this Karma Yoga website, but you're welcome to view the rest of them by visiting this link: http://chelseacendrowski.wix.com/calcutta

Namaste,

Chelsea