Esther Benjamin Trust, Hetauda, Nepal
www.ebtrust.org.uk
Esther Benjamin Trust rescues children who have been enslaved in Indian circuses. The children are often sold to the circuses by desperate parents, or the parents are deceived as to the actual circumstances awaiting their children. Girls in these circuses are routinely sexually exploited in private shows. Both boys and girls are deliberately malnourished to stunt their growth, and forced to perform dangerous acts without safety nets, which sometimes results in permanent crippling. Without education or care, the children soon become very depressed and insecure. It can take months or years of patient counseling and care before they can see any hope of a future. Fortunately, this level of care is exactly what EBT provides. Older teens and young adults at EBT produce suede purses including embroidered purses and passport bags. Approximately 40 survivors at EBT’s shelter participate in the handicraft program.
