Director of Hollywood film to launch anti-trafficking campaign in Nepal
KATHMANDU: Hollywood movie ‘ Sold’ has partnered with non-governmental organisation Childreach Nepal to launch an anti-trafficking campaign in Nepal, Xinhua news agency reported.
“I wanted to create a film that could foster change and serve as a vehicle to raise funds for children that would make a substantial difference in their lives,” said movie director Jeffrey D Brown at a press conference here Sunday.
‘ Sold’ tells the story of a young girl who is trafficked from Nepal to a brothel in India and will be screened in Nepal on Tuesday.
The campaign called ‘Taught not Trafficked’ aims to shine a light on human trafficking internationally and to keep children safe through education awareness projects in high risks areas across Nepal.
“Imagine if your sister or daughter was trafficked -- it is the worst thing that could happen to a child. Our research shows that keeping girls in school is the best way to prevent them from being trafficked,” said Childreach Nepal director Tshering Lama.
‘ Sold’ producer Jane Charles said communities need to work on tackling the causes of trafficking and preventing it from happening in the first place.
“We met hundreds of survivors of child trafficking in India and Nepal while doing research for our film. Once you witness the issue of human trafficking first hand it is impossible to turn away,” she said.
The thought-provoking movie has received international attention and secured Oscarwinning actress Emma Thompson as executive producer.
Assuming the role of a trafficked child or brothel “madam” has been a challenge for many actors in the film.
“Showing the evil and dark side of human beings was very painful,” said Indian actress Seema Biswas who plays the role of a brothel owner in the movie.
The number of children trafficked out of Nepal is about 12,000 every year but some reports indicate the figure is even higher.
According to Childreach Nepal, the majority of trafficked children were school dropouts or had not attended school regularly.
Child trafficking survivor Sunita Danawar believes that with the right education, ‘Taught not Trafficked’ campaign has the potential to reduce child trafficking in Nepal.
“As a survivor of trafficking, I know how evil and damaging it is and what consequences it has not just for those trafficked but for the whole community,” she said.
Statistics from Childreach Nepal show an estimated 200,000 Nepali girls are working in brothels in India.
“In just half a day at the Nepal-India border, I witnessed six women being rescued from trafficking. If you are trapped in a brothel you will be abused by 10 to 15 customers a night, seven days a week,” said film director Brown. — Bernama