Do you remember reading about Niali and Dhandamajhi getting their forearms chopped off in December? Theirs is the violent kind of circumstance that happens with too much unnoticed frequency in some parts of South Asia. Once the dust settled around their story, I found it easy to forget and let their story slip out of my mind amidst the everydays. Luckily, my colleagues don't forget people like Niali and Dhandamajhi.
Few would argue that bonded labour is a terrible atrocity that should be addressed. I used to equate "addressing" bonded labour with a one-time rescue operation and a swift series of legal proceedings that would end in a fitting sentence for the trafficker. Legal accountability is in many ways the linchpin to combatting bonded labour and IJM does this work really, really well***. But the rescue operation and legal work are not the end of Niali and Dhandamajhi's story, so it cannot be the end of IJM's work either.
After coming out of a traumatic experience, it takes a long time for a person to regain their emotional, psychological, and financial footing in order to be a whole, active participant in their community. Thankfully, the government in Niali and Dhandamajhi's state have recognized their need for support. Last week, our office learned that Niali and Dhandamajhi are getting prosthetic limbs for free from a hospital, in addition to long term care.
Aftercare is a lesser-known pillar of IJM's work and I am astounded by the time and effort that some of my team put into their follow up work with clients. There is a huge need for long-term rehabilitation of South Asia's released bonded labourers. Highlight stories like this one give me hope for a region that will not only be free from boned labour, but able to move on from the experience into fuller, sustainable lives (kind of cheesy, but true).
Thank you to those who have helped make this experience possible over the past 16 months. As I write, I am sitting across from one of those pearl friends in a coffee shop, relishing in a Sabbath day of Vespa riding and good weather. And I am overwhelmed by the gift of it!
Truly yours,
Alice
***Don't believe me? Check out Gary Haugen's new book, The Locust Effect.
p.s. Interested in supporting me? There's a link for that!
Few would argue that bonded labour is a terrible atrocity that should be addressed. I used to equate "addressing" bonded labour with a one-time rescue operation and a swift series of legal proceedings that would end in a fitting sentence for the trafficker. Legal accountability is in many ways the linchpin to combatting bonded labour and IJM does this work really, really well***. But the rescue operation and legal work are not the end of Niali and Dhandamajhi's story, so it cannot be the end of IJM's work either.
After coming out of a traumatic experience, it takes a long time for a person to regain their emotional, psychological, and financial footing in order to be a whole, active participant in their community. Thankfully, the government in Niali and Dhandamajhi's state have recognized their need for support. Last week, our office learned that Niali and Dhandamajhi are getting prosthetic limbs for free from a hospital, in addition to long term care.
Aftercare is a lesser-known pillar of IJM's work and I am astounded by the time and effort that some of my team put into their follow up work with clients. There is a huge need for long-term rehabilitation of South Asia's released bonded labourers. Highlight stories like this one give me hope for a region that will not only be free from boned labour, but able to move on from the experience into fuller, sustainable lives (kind of cheesy, but true).
Thank you to those who have helped make this experience possible over the past 16 months. As I write, I am sitting across from one of those pearl friends in a coffee shop, relishing in a Sabbath day of Vespa riding and good weather. And I am overwhelmed by the gift of it!
Truly yours,
Alice
***Don't believe me? Check out Gary Haugen's new book, The Locust Effect.
p.s. Interested in supporting me? There's a link for that!
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