A Baby in a Box

January, 2012

In the red light district of West Bengal, India, a tiny baby girl was born to a 17-year-old slave. The brothel owners called the baby “Sweetie” because of her fair skin. In many red light districts around the world, the whiter the skin, the higher the price on the market. After Sweetie was born, she was left in a cardboard box, beaten when she cried, and never held or soothed. Her slave owners do not want her to know normal affection, so that she will not fight her fate as a prostitute.

The brothel where Sweetie lives is only accessible by a bridge, and no one is allowed across the bridge who isn’t “buying.” But WAR, Int’l’s partners have rented rooms, intended for clients, to create places of sanctuary for the women. In contrast to the dark, musty places where the women work, these rooms are decorated like tiny chapels with cheerily painted walls, benches, potted plants, and tea. It was during one of these visits that our partners witnessed Sweetie’s mistreatment. Heartbroken, they were only allowed to pray for her and occasionally rock her.

After hearing about Sweetie, our hearts have never been the same. It was with this story that a mission began. The WAR family joined together in a tremendous effort to rescue this precious baby and find a safe and loving environment where she is free to be a little girl.