In 1991, before our Trust was set up, an article in OM’s ‘Pray for Nepal’ magazine told of the work of Sue Halstead with girls and women rescued from prostitution and being shown the love of God in a home in Kathmandu, Nepal. At that time Sue and her Nepali co-worker Shanta were looking after 6 girls, 5 of whom had been saved and baptised. Particularly moving was the story of the sixth girl who had recently joined the home. Her name was Phulamaya which means ‘Love Flower’ and her story was the inspiration for members and friends of Community Church Killingworth, the Trust’s main supporters, to give generously and sacrificially toward the cost of building their own home. Land was purchased near Kathmandu and the new building was officially opened on 15 August 1992. As the name ‘Love in Action’ was not acceptable to the authorities, the work was registered as ‘Peace Rehabilitation Centre.’

Phulamaya was typical of many female children in Nepal. Sons can provide for their parents in old age, daughters cannot. In many families a daughter is simply another mouth to feed and so they are given in marriage at a very young age. Many thousands of Nepali girls, some as young as 10, are sold, lured or kidnapped into the flesh trade. Some are sold by their families (not always their parents), some are duped by the promise of a job. Other innocent village girls are simply carried off to Mumbai to be trapped in hopeless slavery. Such was the fate awaiting Phulamaya as she grew up in her village. Phulamaya started her life in a Mumbai brothel at the age of 12 and was used and abused until she was too riddled with disease to be of any further use. After 16 years she was thrown out to find her own way back to Nepal. She weighed only 28 kg (62 lb) and was infected with the HIV virus. Shanta found Phulamaya on the streets of Kathmandu and took her to the local hospital but the doctors literally refused to touch her or to give her medical care as her situation was hopeless. She was left to live on the streets but eventually Shanta won her trust and she agreed to move into the ‘Love in Action’ home. Here she received the love and care that had been missing throughout her life and she was introduced to a man whose love was unconditional. Sadly, Phulamaya never saw the new completed building. She died on 11 December 1991 knowing that man, Jesus Christ, as her Lord and Saviour.

Shanta Sapkota is responsible for the day to day running of the home which always has 30 or more residents, helped by her husband Min. The girls are taught basic health and hygiene, to read, write, embroidery, sewing and other skills. They all have jobs around the house, in the gardens and with the livestock. Time is also spent each day learning about Jesus.

Shanta’s son Sumon has been establishing an educational and skills training programme in the Terai, a region 25 km from the Indian border where the only source of income for the girls is to visit the nearby jungle with a passing truck driver. One of the methods used is to teach women who have some education how to teach the hundreds of other women in their own area who are illiterate. A house was built in this area in 2001 to be used for the work, as a stop-over for Sumon while in the region and as a respite home for those who are HIV+.

Two of the many success stories of ‘Love in Action’ are Chitra and Bishnu.

Tek & Chitra
Chitra was sold by her aunt at the age of 19 and was taken to the Indian border before she managed to escape. She lived in the home for 4 years and was introduced to Tek, then a church pastor. They married and now have 2 sons, a daughter and a small children’s home where they care for 8 boys. Donations enabled them to buy a small piece of land in 2001 and build a new home for their ‘family.’

Yavarug & Bishnu
Bishnu was kidnapped and taken to Mumbai but God spoke to her father and told him where to find her – and he did! She lived in the ‘Love in Action’ home for 2 years and is now married to Yavarug, pastor of a church of 50 members, and they have 2 children. They live in a poor community and Bishnu supplements their meagre income by taking in sewing.
 

Our support for ‘Love in Action’ is sent via Sue Halstead who has now returned to the UK. Sadly, Sue has not enjoyed the best of health in recent years and her visits to Nepal have been less frequent but we continue to rely on her for the information that we receive.

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