Holawwa Harijan is a 30 year old ritualized prostitute - or a 'devadasi'. She lives with her family including her 2 children. When she was 6 years old she was dedicated as a devadasi by her family to a Hindu temple. She thought that her dedication would bring high esteem and status and that she would be seen as a goddess. After her dedication she grew up with her family in her village until she was 18 years old. It was at this time that her honoured status as a devadasi thrust her into her worst nightmare. She was trafficked by a local 'agent' working on behalf of the temple priest to a brothel in another Indian state. Traumatised by the abuse she was desperate to come home, but was unable to leave the brothel due to pressure from her family to bring in some more income. She remained in the horror of the brothel for many years, until illness enabled her to return to her family.

News of Holawwa's situation reached the staff of OMIF and they visited her home to see what they could do. She agreed to attend one of OMIF's aids clinics where sadly she tested positive for HIV. She is now being treated and counseled by the OMIF clinic staff and is taking her first steps towards rebuilding her life.

If only Holawwa's story was the only one to be told. The reality is that across southern India, there are over 250,000 women who have been deceived into the life of a devadasi. Girls as young as 5 are being given the special honour of dedication to a temple and then at puberty become the innocent victims of human trafficking where they are sold into a life of sexual slavery.

We are in partnership with OMIF to bring solutions to this massive need. Our resources will help them effectively locate, test and treat for HIV/Aids and rehabilitate those enslaved in ritualized prostitution. Through micro enterprise and micro finance projects, vocational training and womens empowerment programs, the cycle can be broken.