Bright Hope News

Hoffman Estates, Ill. — Envision a bustling street in India, teeming with life. The smells are unusual, some pleasant, some challenging. Jostling foot traffic mixes with vehicles of all shapes and sizes—bicycles, rumbling diesel trucks, motorcycles with whole families aboard, even ox carts. Along the road, open sided stalls and vendors sell fruit and sizzling food in endless variety. Cows and dogs wander aimlessly. People. Noise. Confusion. 

Hoffman Estates, IL – On Sunday, May 24 the Bright Hope Cycling Team will begin their 40-day, 3,000 mile cycling tour across America to Break the Chains of poverty.
 

Northern India – At five years old, Marah was sold into sex trafficking by her family’s servant who was supposed to take her to school. She was sold to a brothel, and for ten years Marah experienced constant sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.  

Abducted at the age of 22 and held captive by a man for almost two years, Satya faced daily physical and sexual abuse. Her abductor already had five wives and 22 children who were also trafficked. Satya soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Once a vibrant and intelligent college student, she now seemed to be doomed to a life of slavery. 

Deerfield, Illinois – Four men from Trinity International University’s football team have created “Bike4Solution” and are partnering with Bright Hope to fight human trafficking in Northern India by biking across the country starting June 14, 2014.  

Northern India – In August 2013, Bright Hope shared the story of Marah, a girl abducted from her family and sold into trafficking at the age of five. She was rescued ten years later in May 2013 when she bravely escaped from her captors.  

Hoffman Estates, Illinois – January 1 marks the start of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the United States of America. Bright Hope is joining the effort to raise awareness and help build an understanding of this global tragedy that affects 28.9 million people.  

Northern India – Eight minors were recently rescued out of captivity from a small clan in India. The majority of these young girls were sold by their parents into trafficking on the streets for money.  

Northern India — The central government in India is taking significant steps to address the issue of human trafficking in their country. From 2008 to 2009, the government allocated a special budget to the Ministry of Home Affairs to create 297 anti-human trafficking units across the nation with the purpose of training and sensitizing law enforcement officials to begin seeing trafficked girls as victims, not willing participants. These units were trained to act in the best interest of the victim in order to prevent secondary victimization or re-victimization of those being rescued.  

Northern India — In November 2011, 23 year old Satya was walking home from her college class in fashion design. She was quickly approached by a man who said that her father was gravely injured in an accident and that she needed to come with him to the hospital immediately. Bengali Dada was a witch doctor and had once treated Satya's relative. 

Northern India — Marah, now 15-years-old, comes from Muslim background. At the age of five, her family's servant took her, telling her parents he was taking her to school. She was sadly sold to a brothel and was held there for 10 years. In May, Marah bravely escaped with the help of a local tea seller.
 

Northern India — 15-year-old Padma came from a Hindu family in Northern India. After her mother died three days after giving birth to her, Padma's father struggled to take care of her. He was a taxi driver and led an impure, deceitful, dangerous life far from Christ. Though her father loved her deeply, she wasn’t comfortable with his lifestyle. Her father worshiped many different gods and goddesses. “I had no hope,” Padma said. “I could see that the worship of these gods was not bringing any good change in him and the lifestyle he was living.”