What to do together?
Asha says: "Lets read a book or see a movie that we have not seen."
Things click in this Daddy's mind. Maybe the time is now to unveil what has been hidden for some time...
Down comes a DVD which had been purchased a few weeks prior. A condensed - but still very watchable version of Herge's classic Tintin adventure The Red Sea Sharks.
I had not read the comic for years - and so was pleasantly surprised. Herge tells a cracking good yarn - I now remember why this was a favourite for me - given the prominence of the Mosquito fighters and the action invovled. But Herge also weaves in his old special brand of slap-stick with a virtual rogues gallery of past 'baddies' showing up (Allen, Rastapolous, Mueller and more) as well as our beloved incompetents (the Thom(p)son twins, Nestor, Castafiore, Alcazar and Haddock of course).
What surprsed me was the nature of the adventure. It is about human trafficking - in the book mainly black Africans (if my memory is correct) - in the film there seem to be a variety of folk (including Desi looking types) who are being smuggled for immigration purposes.
People are not for selling - but they continue to be smuggled - with various levels of connivance - and deep pockets who are making profits from the horrible business of slavery.
The fact that the story ends in the comforts of Marlinspike (and the Emir safely back in the saddle) doesn't mean that this is the situation for most people who are being trafficked today.
Our friends in programmes who are involved with rescue and restoration of girls sold into prostitution (like Freedom Firm, Oasis India Trust and IJM) know how difficult it is - and how costly and heartbreaking the process of rehabilitation can be.
After the excitement and glamour of 'rescuing' the girls from the brothel - comes the years of work of walking along side these young women and helping them blossom into the women that God has created them to be. The long-term carers are few. The funds meagre. The challenges great. So much more needs to be done.
Hats off to the few who are making a difference though.
Hi Andi, You must've been busy over the week. Have missed the posts! Enjoyed the 3 today though. You should add JSK to the list of those who are making a difference. Your rehabilitation work is possibly more costly, as at the end, there may be sorrow and loss...
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