During the COVID-19 lockdown in India, 16-year-old Diya fell in love with an older man by talking to him over the phone. When the lockdown ended, they made plans to spend a day together. They met and enjoyed their time, and in the evening they got on a bus to return home. Diya fell asleep during the bus ride, and when she woke up, they were in the middle of a strange city. The man told Diya he didn’t want to live without her, so he was taking her to a temple to marry her. They got off the bus, and he told her he was going into the temple to speak with the priests about arranging a marriage ceremony. Minutes later two police officers approached Diya and took her to the station. The man had actually brought her to a Red Light district, and he was caught in the act of selling Diya to a brothel.
The police brought Diya to the She Is Safe-sponsored Restoration Home; a safe haven for young girls to heal from trauma and learn about God’s love for them. In this loving home, girls like Diya who are most at risk of being abused or trafficked into sexual slavery are able to envision new futures for themselves as they are supported in their education and encouraged to explore their talents. Some girls in the home were rescued from brothels where their mothers are sex slaves. Without this intervention, they would become enslaved as well, starting in their preteen years. Diya is thankful for God’s miraculous protection. Through your support, Diya, rather than being enslaved, is now free to grow into who God created her to be.
