Niali and Dhandamajhi

In December, two young men from the South Asian countryside, Niali and Dhangdamajhi, met a labour contractor who promised to set them up with work in a city that would enable them to help feed their families. These two men come from one of the poorest districts in their area of South Asia and it is very common for the young men in their communities to migrate for work, so their attempt to secure work this way is not uncommon. However, instead of taking them to the original area for work, the contractor tried forcing the two men and some others to a brick kiln in another state. During a stop on the journey, a group of these workers managed to escape from the contractor, leaving the two young men alone and still in captivity. In a fit of drunken frustration, the two young men who had originally agreed to move and work had their right hands chopped off. Furthermore, these men were then dumped on the side of the road and left for dead. They stumbled into a nearby village and made it to a hospital, where they received initial care.

Bonded labour occurs at the crux of one person’s desperation and another person’s willingness to exploit that vulnerability. Sadly, these two men who were eager to work ended up in the hands of other people who were equally as eager to take advantage of them. Although they are young, without education it will be very difficult for either Niali or Dhangdamajhi (whose original strength was in their physical capability to work) to find and hold a job in the future.

Stories like these need to be known. If it wasn’t for a reporter out in the countryside of South Asia, Niali and Dhangdamajhi’s torture would have remained unknown and the men who were responsible for their continued trauma would not have been held accountable.

When I returned to IJM two weeks ago, I had an exciting conversation with the Director of Communications about the important need for equipped reporters to be in the places where bonded labour abuses occur. This year, my office will work with another organization to offer a fellowship to reporters in the South Asian countryside. These reporters will receive training on tracking and recording bonded labour in order that they can more effectively share the stories from rural areas throughout this year. With hope, these fellows will be the needed voices to speak for people like Niali and Dhangdamajhi.

In addition to exciting work on the Communications front, I have jumped right into my role as the Executive Assistant to the Director of National Advocacy. Amidst drafting proposals and learning how to request flights, the role shift has already been stretching but it will give me ample opportunities to (attempt to) empower and support the members of our office. I think it’s going to be a great fit.

Two Mondays ago, I walked into IJM to meet 12 new members of our office. The situation is nothing short of an interpersonal Christmas. There are all sorts of new titles to learn like “Zone Head” and “Investigations Specialist”. The next few months will probably be months of major adjustment for our office, but part of my job will be to make that transition as smooth as possible so that people can continue their work.

Please pray for my little branch of IJM during this transition. New colleagues and construction are crucial parts of capacity building, but it can put a strain on the current needs of our work. Pray for me as I try to be as supportive as possible. I hope my efforts in these last moths can be of the “five loaves and two fish” variety.

Sincerely,

Alice

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