We had a guest speaker come into our Global Studies class, and I put together my notes to write a blog about it. A native of Huntington Beach, Jeffery Kottler is a professor of Psychology on our SAS voyage, and an author of over 80 books on psychology phenomena. He overheard me talking to someone on the first day, and we found out we live just a few miles from each other. He talked to our class for over an hour about an organization he began with a story about a girl named Inu. His lecture made such an impact on all of us that I want to share as much as I can remember with you.
Inu’s Story:
The average annual income of a family in Nepal is $200. It costs $50 per year to attend public school.
Professor Kottler spoke about a trip he made to Nepal, in which he discovered the kidnapping of young girls in a local village. The principal told him that lower caste girls started to disappear at anywhere from 8-12 years old. They are taken or sometimes sold by their families, and transported to India to become sex slaves. One by one, each girl in the school would disappear. Professor Kottler spotted a girl alone in a corner, and asked about her. The principal said “That’s Inu. She’ll disappear very soon.”
Professor Kottler asked how much it would cost to keep Inu in school for another year. He was told it would be “too too much.” He asked again, and the principal told him that Inu would need uniforms for each season, and books, and many other things.
The total cost was going to be $50. Professor Kottler took the money out of his pocket and handed it to the principal. He told him it was to keep Inu in school for the next year. The principal said he would, and put the money in his pocket.
Professor Kottler began crying, and his doctoral student (a woman from Nepal) came up to him. He felt like he had done a good thing, but his student was not so sure. She reminded him of where the principal had put the money, and asked him if he really thought that money was going to save Inu’s life. She said that unless he told the principal that he would continue to check on Inu, she would be gone before anyone could notice. He didn’t know what to do. He had places to travel to. This village took a long time to get to, and he was going to have to keep finding his way back. On the other hand, he was saving one girl from being sold, and giving her the opportunity to become educated.
This story took place when Inu was 12 years old. She is now the first college student from her village, and studies TV and radio production at Thailand’s most elite university.
“Empower Nepali Girls” was established to provide educational opportunities for lower caste girls. In a country where most women are deemed more worthless than a goat, Professor Kottler’s organization now supports 150 girls in nine villages throughout Nepal.
We watched a video that was just taken when he was in Nepal three weeks ago, and the girls were being interviewed on their future. Every girl said she wanted to become educated so she could help other poor people.
It is estimated that 12,000 girls are sold each year to brothels. Education is the only thing that can help save them.
I’ve posted the link to the foundation’s website:
www.EmpowerNepaliGirls.org.
Its headquarters are located on 9th street in Huntington Beach, right by a lot of you. Check it out, and get involved.
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