The place: India. The group: local pastors. The topic: sex trafficking. The shock: that it happens to boys. Last year, as Blackbox researched India’s need for aftercare homes there, we gathered 15 local Indian pastors who serve in the central part of the country. When we began to describe the situation—that underage boys are trafficked for sex—they were shocked. At first, some denied this really happens in India.
But.
As we defined what trafficking is, how the boys are used, and what it looks like in different areas of the country, the men began to speak up. One by one, they shared situations they were encountering in their churches and communities. Within a few hours, every pastor said that they were actually already working with trafficking victims or knew of trafficked victims in their community, especially at the train stations.
Tears.
One older pastor, with tears in his eyes, stood up in front of the group and stated that no one had ever talked publicly about the things that were happening. He said that he was hopeful now, because there were others he could talk to as he works with these boys. He was not alone in the fight.
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150.
By the end of the meeting, the men had listed over 150 boys they know who are being used for sex against their will—boys who are “hired” by tourists, truckers, factory owners, and more. The numbers in India alone are staggering. The need is great and the time is now!
$1.
That’s the price to use a boy in India.
The story MUST change!
-Wade Landers, Executive Director