Restore International is also active in India, where slavery is alive and well in the 21st century. Although the trafficking of African slaves to Europe and America ended long ago, trafficking of children is now a multi-million dollar industry. Slavery has changed shape and form and has seized a new victim – the innocent girl.
Prostitution is rampant in many parts of India. A huge demand for sex and a lenient law enforcement system has resulted in the flourishing trade of buying and selling women and girls. Young girls from poor areas are particularly vulnerable and are often lured, kidnapped or tricked into prostitution.
In addition to forced prostitution, slavery in the form of bonded labor is also a major problem in India. Young children are held captive to roll beedis (cigarettes) for up to fourteen hours per day. They are paid sometimes as little as a dime a day and are continually told they must work harder to pay off their “debt” to the mudalali (slave owner) who purchased them.
