The story of Sabu
There are multiple ways a girl gets trafficked. Often the trafficker will deceive the family into thinking their daughter is getting a job that comes with housing, and the daughter will be able to send money home monthly. The trafficker will even give the family an advance on their daughter’s first month wages. Once the girl is taken, she realizes quickly what has happened to her. Various threats are made so she will not try to tell her family what has happened. Then they begin with her debt bondage. First, she owes the money they gave the family, she must pay rent, food, medicines and so on. All things get added to her debt, trapping her into what she believes is a real debt that must be paid before she can return to her family. This is the story of Sabu.
Sabu was brought to one of the red-light areas where we work. She began coming to our center because she was told she could learn skills for free. Sabu joined our literacy class as she did not have the privilege of going to school and could not read or write. She first learned to write her name. Sabu then joined our Good Money bracelet making class and started saving the money she earned from us. She began coming to our prayer and worship service. Our staff began counselling her. Slowly there was trust from both sides. Sabu shared that she had an original debt bondage of approximately $1250.00. She felt over the years she had paid her madam over $3700.00 but her madam kept deceiving her into believing she owed more money. Her madam was demanding Sabu pay even more. Rupa shared with our staff her desire to return home but her fear of the madam kept her from leaving. She said she had saved the money she had made at our center and some of her other earnings and her dream was to open a small shop in her home village. Our staff devised a plan to get Sabu out of the red-light area and safely on a train to her home. We provided her with food and funds for the journey. We got her safely home and it has now been one month. Meanwhile, her madam has been searching and asking questions about where Sabu is and who knows where she went. Please pray for Sabu and her dream for her life and she trusts in the Lord. Pray for our staff, for wisdom and protection as their desire is to get as many women and children out of the red-light area as possible.
Thank you for all the ways you support the ministry of Rahab’s Rope