March 6, 2009
Mumbai is amazing…
We arrived at 11:30pm and we were ready for our hotel! Calcutta was awesome and also emotionally draining. The six of us – Jon, Abe, Ken, Vasanth, Sebastian and myself – with 10 bags, both luggage and equipment, walked out of the airport to find ONE car waiting for us. This was just not going to work. So, we hired a taxi and headed out for the “hotel.” On the way, we discovered that all of the mosquitoes in India must live in Mumbai! I killed about 100 between the airport and the hotel. The next morning, we got up and met our local guide, Bama – not to be confused with oBama! She has been working with OM in Mumbai for the last 15 years. She is a great lady! We went to lunch and I got a chance to talk with her quite a bit. She is passionate about her ministry. She oversees the church, the Good Shepherd School and the mercy ministries to one of the slums there in Mumbai – an incredible responsibility.
After lunch, we checked into another hotel for our last night. This hotel had a great pool, so Jon and I spent some time swimming and looking over the lake in Mumbai. It was really beautiful. After the swim, we headed out for the evening. We drove for a couple of hours (still in Mumbai) and headed into the “red light” area. We let our cameras roll and it was amazing how fast the word spread that there was a camera crew in the area. Girls covered their faces, drapes were drawn and doors were closed. It was 10 times the experience of Calcutta. The place was crazy busy. The looks of the girls were the same, though. Once again, the reality of what we are trying to accomplish was so present in my mind. We met up with an assistant police commissioner who walked Jon down into the streets to capture some stories. Pretty quickly they came back as the girls weren’t willing to talk. They asked us to come back tomorrow when they weren’t working. Incredible.
The next morning, we had breakfast with a lady who moved to Mumbai 18 months ago from Orange County. Her name is Stephanie. She was reading a magazine article on human trafficking and felt God moving in her heart. The story captured her attention and as a result, she literally quit her job and moved. She had a masters degree, a great job, good friends and a wonderful family and yet knew that she needed her life to matter, to somehow make a difference. So, here she is in Mumbai, working with girls who have been rescued from the flesh trade. With her at breakfast, was Sunita. Sunita was 23 and had been a domestic servant since she was 13. She had been trafficked by her family. Fortunately, she wasn’t in the flesh trade. But still, she had been a victim of trafficking. She has found Jesus and now, works with Stephanie. She translates for Stephanie as they both reach out to these girls as they transition back into culture.
We visited Stephanie’s apartment in Mumbai later that day. Stephanie started a non-profit called International Sanctuary (www.isanctuary.org). This organization teaches women rescued from trafficking to make jewelry that is sold here in the US. It is great stuff and I bought several pieces. I told my girls when I got home about this and gave them each a bracelet and when people ask them about the bracelets, they tell them this story. Stephanie is about transformed lives. She is an inspiration. The world needs more people like Stephanie.
We left for the airport from there. As we reflected on this amazing trip, we were overwhelmed with God’s provision and His goodness. He is so in this film. I can feel His guidance. I can feel His pleasure in this. Satan isn’t happy and he is making that known. But, God is greater and nothing and NO ONE can get in His way! Praise the Lord for He is good!
____________________
March 4, 2009
I remember a Steve Martin and John Candy film awhile back called Planes, Trains and Automobiles. We lived that on Monday for sure! After leaving Hyderabad and flying to Vishakhapatnam, on the east coast of India, we raced to the train station and caught our 15-hour train to Calcutta. We rode in a AC Two-Tier car – which means that our car had air conditioning (praisaluia!) and was two bunks high. They also have AC Three-Tier and then Sleeper Car. If you’ve seen The Darjeeling Limited – a film from 2007, then you know the train. Jon, Abe and I bunked with Srini – a young, Indian guy from Chennai who was on his way back to work in Calcutta from holiday. He works for the military as a civil engineer. He was a cool guy, who found us three Americans to be quite hilarious. He also watched DELETES, our short film documentary on the Dalits of India, with great interest. I was a little worried that he might take offense at it since we didn’t cut any corners as we compared the Dalit situation to world history like Hitler, South Africa and American slavery. After watching it, he commented how amazing it was that we Americans were thinking and doing something on behalf of the Dalits when no Indians were thinking or doing anything about it. He was impressed at the quality but also said that it “wasn’t very commercial.” He is right – it wasn’t designed to make money, but rather to raise awareness. Srini isn’t a Dalit, but said that the situation seems to be getting better for them.
The train journey was beautiful, but the bunks aren’t made for someone 6’3″ tall! It was hard to complain as we looked at the window as the sun set over this beautiful country. The coast was really pretty with many hills and valleys, lush vegetation and gorgeous colors. It really is a striking land. As it got dark, we all hunkered down for some rest. How cool it was to be traveling by train across this country – seeing things that you can’t from a car. It was a great privilege.
The train arrived in Calcutta about 4:30am and we were met by a host who drove us to a hotel to rest and clean up. After a shower and some rest, we were off to discover Calcutta. This place is amazing and diverse – so different from Hyderabad in so many ways. We drove through the city, including the red light area and saw girls, some of them around my daughter’s age (11), working the streets. One of the handlers ran up to our car when he saw Americans inside and beckoned us to come back to his girls. It was awful. They have no hope and their faces just stare at you – no joy, no hope, no feeling. After this, we visited a Hindu cremation site where bodies are brought to be cremated. We actually saw feet sticking out of a pile of burning wood. It was weird for sure. This place was right on the bank of the Ganges river, the holy river of India. This place was also depressing. The day had been a bit of a downer. But, that changed soon as we were able to visit Mother’s House – the place where Mother Theresa served the poor and oppressed in Calcutta. We toured her grave and also saw her room, as well as a museum of her life. It was quite a contrast – so much peace and joy was in that place. The Sisters of Charity continue to carry on her passion of caring for the unfortunate and untouchable. I thought about what Friends Church is doing through Global Freedom and was encouraged to see that we, also, are living out this passion and commitment. What a great way to end our stay in Calcutta.
We flew to Mumbai at the end of the day – many miles traveled in 36 hours. We have seen so much, met so many great people who are making a difference in their cities. This trip has opened my eyes to things I’ve heard about but have never seen. Now, I can’t say that anymore.
____________________
March 1, 2009
We are up and at it early today. We had breakfast with the other teams that are here from Friends and then we were off to the city dump – what a great destination. On the way there, we were told that the dump had been moved. How do you move a dump?! Anyway, we headed out in the direction of the “new” dump. After stopping and asking directions along the way – something not uncommon in India – we found the road leading out to the dump. Off to the right were huge housing structures built by the government for the slum dwellers, Dalits and Tribals of India. There had to have been 20-30 white buildings, 5 or 6 stories high. It was a huge complex. The sad part is that the complex is not full, not even close to being full. The government built this for the vagabonds and untouchables but it is so far away from any work that it makes living there impossible. So, it stands there, huge and imposing – built as a refuge and safe place for these people, unused and empty, like a ghost town.
We passed this complex and continued driving and began to see the smoke rising from the dump on top of a nearby hill. The smell hit me first, then the sights of people living in shanties and other tarp covered huts. Over 5,000 families live here. Yes, 5,000. Their job: find the bottles and cans and other recyclables in the garbage and pull them out to sell. They are called “rag pickers.” It reminded me of the Musahar, the rat eaters, that we met on our trip a year ago. As we drove up into the dump, it was overwhelming. When we got to the top and got out of the car, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The heat, the stench, the waste – it all hit me and I could hardly stomach it. We walked around, took pictures and met some of the people working there. To personalize it, I thought of my children up there, with bare hands, going through the trash to find something to recycle. Who knows what kind of diseases run wild there. I have to say that my thoughts drifted to how much Purell anti-bacterial gel I still had left in my bag. Before we left, we talked with a few of the locals. They asked us to provide a school for the children and a training center for the 2,500 women who live there and have nothing to do. It was sobering. Although this will make a great location for the film, a lot comes with that. How do we just film there? We need to find a way to help.
We drove back to our hotel and got ready to go to the graduation. I guess contrast would be the best word for the trip so far. So quickly, we move from one reality to another. From awful to hope, devastation to opportunity. The graduation was the exact opposite of the morning. The OM campus was beautiful – lighting, sound, video were all amazing and really set the stage for this momentous celebration. They expected a crowd of over 1,000! The 17 students who graduated were alive with hope and promise. One boy shared that we wanted to be a civil engineer. A girl talked about her dream of becoming a flight hostess. Another, wants to be doctor. As they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas, they exuded confidence and purpose. What a huge difference our schools are making in India. There is a hope for a new day, a new way of living for Dalits.
I know that we can’t change everything and we can’t help everyone. But, tonight reminded me that we are making a difference. It will grow and a generation will be changed. Things will get better.
____________________
February 27, 2009
Today we found an amazing location just next to Charminar (four towers), known as one of “the seven wonders of Hyderabad.” The shops and vendors there are characteristic of India and there are so many possibilities for catching Indian life as it happens as a backdrop for our story.
After this discovery, we visited several slums in the Hyderabad area. One such slum was split in the middle by a small dirt road. On one side were the gypsies, or tribals, and on the other were the Dalits. Both of these groups are considered outcasts and untouchables. To see even this division was amazing. OM has started a small school here and sends a teacher each day who handles around 40 students. Many of the people in this slum are children. There parents have migrated here for work and have then followed that work elsewhere leaving their children, something elementary age, to watch over the babies and toddlers.
We visited several other slum locations and then traveled a bit out of town to visit a rehabilitation center for women and girls, some of which were rescued from human trafficking. This is when it became more than a screenplay for me. To see these girls, some mentally challenged as a result of their ordeal, was overwhelming. One girl was gang raped and thrown on the street when she became pregnant. Another girl is now deaf and dumb from her experience as a human slave. Two other girls were locked in a closet by their own father because they weren’t born as boys. He fed them one piece of bread to share each day. His hope was that they would die naturally. When they kept living, he sold them into the world of human trafficking. Most have children of their own as a result. Some are HIV+. The stories go on and on. The good news however, is that you can see them progressing and beginning to integrate back into society. The work that this center is doing should be applauded. With little to no government help, they are making a difference for the 66 women and children who live there. It was a very sobering experience.
There is a purpose in this film. The ultimate purpose that Jesus is the answer to all of these issues, that His love is available to all people. But in that message, there is also a purpose to raise awareness for these people who are being treated and sold like animals. These stories must be told.
We finished the day at the Marriott hotel in Hyderabad. Talk about a contrast – what a world apart and yet right around the corner. We checked out a suite at the hotel for one of our locations and it was amazing, even by American standards. We ate dinner there as well and “enjoyed” the hits of the 80’s by a very talent-challenged performer!
It was a bit of a guilty pleasure – eating at the Marriott tonight. God has been so good to us in so many ways. Take our guide for example – Vasanth Kumar. He has proven invaluable and has so many contacts that shooting in Hyderabad will be much easier. We have nearly complete access.
We are blessed.
____________________
February 25, 2009
After leaving LAX and flying for 20+ hours, our scouting team arrived at Rajiv Ghandi International Airport in Hyderabad, India. It was 4:15am and the place was packed with people. The shock of landing in this beautiful country, however, was different this time. This airport is new, has many shopping outlets, fountains, palm trees and even a McDonald’s outside. Not at all like my first trip – walking off the plane, all my senses being assaulted by sights, smells and humidity, walking down the exit stairs on to the tarmac and escorted through the terminal – or what seemed like a bombed out building from some war. This time it was different – India is changing and they want the world to know it.
We took an uneventful taxi ride – an accomplishment in itself – to our hotel and checked in. After a quick breakfast and a few hours of sleep, we were picked up and taken to OM headquarters. There, we met with Dr. D’Souza, his staff and Dr. Gonu Vasanth Kumar, an India Government official who has worked on behalf of India and the United Nations for the last several years in the area of Human Trafficking. There are three stages of human trafficking – source, transit and destination. India is involved in all three.
Our meeting with him was amazing. He has been on the front lines of this issue in India. He has seen women and girls, some as young as 5 year old, rescued from this travesty. They are duped into this life by promises of better living, education, money or new opportunity – never knowing that life, as they know it, is over. The “flesh trade” is the third largest organized crime syndicate in the world – after arms/munitions and drugs. 90%-95% of the women and children trafficked in India are Dalits. 40%-45% of those are minors, under the age of 18. 60%-65% of those are infected with HIV/AIDS. This is heart wrenching. The craziest thing is that when they are rescued, most will escape and go right back because it is all they know or they are scared for their families. There is also no infrastructure here to help them once rescued. So often, they are sent to government rehab centers, but those centers are not equipped to handle their particular needs.
The other main problem is that the attitude towards this in India is casual. For years, temple or religious prostitutes have been employed. To most, this is just another issue like that. Police, government officials, gang leaders and others profit from this trade and as a result, it is difficult to get anyone to take action. Society here sweeps this under the rug. In the last several years, only 4 cases have been prosecuted in the local area here – 4 cases out of 8.2 million women and children trafficked in India this year.
This issue is huge and their are big stakes. We are confronting a multi-billion dollar business. Lives are being destroyed for money and profiteering.
We looked at several DVD documentaries on the human slave trade as well, giving us context and allowing us to see video captured on hidden cameras and also to hear testimonies of some girls who have been rescued. We will be visiting a few of these places in Mumbai later in our trip.
Tomorrow, we will be doing specific location scouting around Hyderabad. We’ll also be interviewing a few women and girls who have been rescued. So much to see here – so much to capture – a great story to tell.
Producer's Blog 