Sari Bari celebrations are a normal practice for us here in Kolkata. Maybe it is a reaction to the intensity of suffering we see and experience through our friends here, maybe we just like to have a good time, most definitely we’ve chosen to declare goodness and value and joy in the face of what [...]
Another Sari Bari reflection from Melissa: I’ve started spending more time with the ladies who are in training at Sari Bari. The “Training Ladies” start each day with some basic education – reading and writing, and basic math. I was sitting upstairs with them, playing a letter (Bengali letter) recognition game. I’d show them a [...]
The tyranny of chaos. I was talking with a friend last night, and he used that phrase. It stuck in my mind because so often in this city, all I can say over and over in my mind is, “Chaos. This is complete chaos.” How true this phrase is: chaos is a tyrant that leaves [...]
This morning for devos at sari bari, I asked a couple of questions. What has happened in your life since you came to sari bari? What are the dreams you have for the future? What do you hope will happen through Sari Bari in the future? The responses were hesitant at first. But they came [...]
Pornima’s body was cremated today and we know in our hearts that she has been given her True freedom and entry into the Promised Land earlier than we expected. Her body was accompanied by her Sari Bari and Freeset families as well as her mother and son. One of the girls commented that Pornima would [...]
The Kolkata community suffered a deep loss Tuesday. One of our ladies who has spent three months with us in training was murdered by a customer last night. There will be no justice for her… everyone in the brothels knows who did it but will not speak up. This is a devastating loss for our [...]
Check out www.saribari.com in July to help the cause of freedom for our friends in the red light area!
From The Sunday Times May 17, 2009 A Life in the Day: Mariam Laskar, s*x worker Mariam Laskar, 42, a s*x worker, the poorest r*d-light district I wake up around 5am so I can use the latrine early, while it’s still quiet. I share it with nine other households. Each has one room about 8ft [...]
Check out this album to see the “before” shots of the new Sari Bari location in one of Kolkata’s largest red-light districts. We just finalized the five-year rental contract for this space for our second location. This space will be able to provide for at least 40 women to work for Sari Bari and a [...]
After 9 months of waiting and praying, we signed the rental contract for the new Sari Bari location today! We now have a location for Sari Bari right in the red light district. This is a huge, huge answer to prayer. I just want to scream FREEDOM! FREEDOM! and dance a little jig. i hope [...]