REBUILDING THE LIVES OF INDIAN SEX SLAVES

In India, millions of women and girls work as prostitutes. Many have been trafficked: kidnapped, lured with promises of jobs, or sold by their own families into sexual slavery. Some have become sex workers (the actual term used in India) due to poverty or lack of opportunities. Some are as young as six years old. Hiv/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are taking their lives at devastatingly early ages. All of these women have suffered hardship and abuse beyond imagination. However, thanks to a growing group of dedicated individuals here in the US, this tragedy is gaining massive attention. But even more importantly, handfuls of these women are being rescued and given skills to rebuild their lives.

In February of 2005, Shannon Keith made a trip to India that changed her life. While there, she visited a red light district with an organization whose mission was to rescue these prostitutes. As Shannon’s group distributed fruit, medicines, and small grooming items, she was struck by the number of women and children living in crude shacks that provide both shelter and a place for business. She could not forget the individual faces, “some worn by years of abuse, others that appear young until you look into their eyes and are almost paralyzed by the empty pools that stare back at you.” The squalor and sense of hopelessness were overwhelming.

Shannon’s idea was to develop an outreach program that would provide sewing machines and training for the women to become efficient seamstresses, thereby giving them a trade that would allow them to support themselves as they re-enter society, and to contribute toward the program while under its care.

Overtime the program became The International Princess Project. Its mission is simple, but its goal is life changing. Each woman will create simple drawstring pajamas out of India’s beautiful sari fabric. These “pun-jammies” are easy to sew and inexpensive to create, resulting in a significant profit margin when exported to the U.S. Profits will be reinvested in rescuing more women, training, and education, or to further develop the program as needed.

Back in the U.S. the response to The International Princess Project has been tremendous. Joined by a team of concerned people—business professionals to homemakers—who are willing to donate their time, resources and talents to help, IPP’s success and visibility is gaining strong momentum. “The work that we are seeking to do is so significant,” says Shannon. “It humbles me to know that our little efforts can literally save lives. IPP will serve as a voice for those who have none.”

To learn more about IPP or to find where Punjammies are sold in your area, please click here.