Sitta's Story...Day 1 in Chennai

A blast of hot humid air hit us as we walked out of the Chennai airport last night! Wow, it's hot here.

What a terrific first day we've had, though. This morning we loaded up in two rickshaws and headed to the bulk jewelry supplier to purchase some raw materials to use for jewelry designs for the women to make. The market was dusty, crowded and very HOT. A motorcycle hit me in the leg, but thankfully I squeezed out of the way at the last minute and didn't get crushed.



In the afternoon we worked with the young women of Rescue & Restore jewelry making project. This is our third project that's being launched in a home that rescues orphans and young women from the streets.



Siita's story is one of heinous abuse, but also of intervention. She lives in Rescue & Restore home. While she was growing up, Siita's mother was a prostitute. When she was about 14, as her mother was leaving for Dubai, she gave Sitta to a local pimp. After being terribly abused, the pimp finally took her to the hospital. When she arrived she was barely hanging on to life. At that point the directors of Rescue & Restore were called by the psychologist at the hospital who knew them. They were asked to come and take her to their home because she was all alone and at great risk for her life. Now, several years later, Sitta lives at Rescue & Restore home and she has started working in our jewelry making project. Today it was wonderful to see her smiling and making beautiful jewelry with the other young women! Her dream is to one day be a lawyer & fight for the rights of young women who've been exploited & abused.

Hope's Gate exists to give hope to orphans, victims of human trafficking and the most vulnerable. It's our dream to help young women like Siita achieve their dreams & have hope for the future!

Check back tomorrow for day 2 at Rescue & Restore jewelry project....