Born Into Brothels

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When we "visited" Kolkata, India, I was very disgusted with the way the children were treated in the brothels. They were treated as slaves, and some of the mothers did not seem very caring at all. What bothered me most was that the boarding schools would not accept the children because their parents were criminals. If they can't get accepted into a school and recieve a decent education, they will be trapped in poverty. It wasn't their fault they were born in the Red Light District! Thankfully, they were able to find a school that would take them.

I liked the kids because they all seemed to have a good head on their shoulders. They acted a lot older than they really were, and it made them appreciate the little things (which is something you rarely see in 8 or 11-year-olds). I felt bad for them that they were stuck in such a rut because of their parents, but I was proud to learn that a few of the children stayed at the boarding school and took advantage of the opportunity to make something of themselves. I also thought the American woman was extremely caring for giving up part of her life to help these kids out, and she did a great job. However, if I were her, I would try to encourage locals to get involved and help out the impoverished, so that progress can be made when she is back home in America.

I thought the American woman's efforts were overall a success, since she couldn't force the children to go to school. She tried to convince them and their families how important an education is, and she did a good job with that. However, most of the kids did not end up going to the boarding school, which was kind of disappointing since the woman worked so hard for them to get in.

One question I have is: Is the country of India doing anything to improve the poverty situation in places like the Red Light District? Also, what kind of schooling did the children initially have? If any?

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