Red Light District - New Delhi

What I saw Sunday night in India was unimaginable.

I've been to "red-light" districts before, specifically in Thailand, BUT it was NOTHING like this. In Thailand, there's almost a "party" feel to it. Everything is pretty much out in the open. You've got lights, signs and women beckoning you to stop. You see terrible things - such as an old, pot-bellied man walking hand-in-hand with his two young prostitutes.

But that's just it - you SEE IT! It's everywhere - staring you right in the face like a HUGE, bright, neon sign. In Delhi, it's VERY different. It's what you DON'T see that is so horrific.

Sunday we took a drive down "G. B. Road" in Delhi. It's estimated this single road is home to 15,000 women - 15,000!

It's less than a mile long.

It's also home to some moms of our kids in the Asha Mission house. Their kids live in our homes so they don't have to grow up in a brothel. Unfortunately though as we saw that night, many children are not so lucky. They live just feet away from where there moms "make a living".

The red light district here is NOTHING like the ones I've visited in Thailand. As you can see in the video below - this road is dark. You hardly see any women out on the streets. If they did, they would get arrested. You see, prostitution is "illegal" in India. But if the women stay on the upper floors of these dreadful, run-down buildings, they can "work." They call out to the men on the road from behind iron bars. Actually, prostitution is LEGALLY "illegal" in India.

We were allowed to shoot video from the car, but we could not take our cameras inside. So I'll do my best to describe to you what I saw.

The building is concrete - that's it, very simple. You walk through a narrow doorway with a few women sitting beside it. Then you wind your way up concrete steps with concrete walls on each side of you. The stairwell is so narrow, two people walking side by side would not be possible. This particular building was 4 stories. So on each floor you could stop and take your pick of women. We went to the second floor and talked with a lady named Kamlal. Our Indian contact has been working and ministering on this road for years, so she felt comfortable around us. She showed us where she lives. A tiny room that is the size of a small closet. In it was her bed - for sleeping, not working, and everything else she owned.

Her "working" bed was not a bed at all. In fact, it was a separate room out on one of the balconies. Inside was a concrete slab. This is where men took her to have sex for $4.

This women is in her early 30's, and she's quite beautiful. This was somewhat shocking to me as most I saw that night were not. The hard life they live was written all over their faces and bodies. But Kamlal seemed to escape that fate - for now.

She works as a prostitute because he drunk, drug-addicted husband won't. She has no education or skills - so she sells the one thing she can for money.

We prayed with her, and Ericka sang Amazing Grace over her. Next thing I know, I look up and see four women around us listening. When we left, Kamlal hugged Ericka and wouldn't let go.

The whole time this is all going on I'm seeing kids running around, one of them is turning cartwheels on the cold damp concrete floor. Also customers are coming and going up and down the stairs.

We move to the third floor to see the mother we set out to find. She is a large women with a gregarious personality. She sits us down and offers us some soda. We tell her that her son is such a good boy, and that he is very handsome. You can see her pride in him. He's one of the fortunate kids - he doesn't have to grow up in this foul, damp place. He won't have to see strange men buy his mom every single night. He will have a chance to get an education. The kids living here - will not. In fact, many of the women cannot read.

She keeps promising our Indian contact she will leave this life once her other child is out of the brothel and settled in somewhere else. But so far she has not kept that promise. She has been living and working in the brothels for TEN YEARS!

These past two days have renewed our passion. Ericka and I always knew what we were working to protect the children from - but to see it, up-close, live and in person... it changes things. I left the red light district feeling helpless and foolish. There was nothing I could do to physically help or change these people's lives. However, we CAN fight for the next generation of Indian children. The homes The Sound of Hope supports are doing just that, they are giving these kids a chance - and that has me EXCITED! Because NO kid deserves to grow up in a brothel - NONE, NOT ONE!

We can't rescue and protect every child out there from the horrors of this world, BUT we can save some - isn't that worth sacrificing a little bit of our money, possessions and time?

Below is a video clip with Saji, our Indian contact - he does a great job of explaining life on G. B. road. The video is not the greatest quality because we had to keep the camera low and try not to be noticed.