understand

​Today we came to the city & went on a tour around Thamel to a couple different massage parlors. These massage parlors are partners with rashka (women empowerment & healing center) basically rashka works with women who don't have money to get an education so instead of selling their bodies in desperate times they can learn a skill like sewing to earn money in a healthy way. Sometimes massage parlors are just a front & they have issues where men take advantage of the workers. Rashka is working with women at these massage parlors that are basically doing prostitution & trying to help them. If police find these women, they have 6 months to get legit massage certified or else they get arrested. & if police find out about prostitution going on even if they have a certificate they will be arrested. 6-12 years. Women are so desperate for money sometimes that they feel like that is their only option to make money. Rashka does not look down on those girls but rather they understand them & help those girls realize they are worth more than that and there are other ways. The girls that are actually living at rashka are victims of sexual assault & were either found or referred to them..often by the government. They go through a recovery process & stay there until they are ready to be on their own or old enough to leave. A lot of girls are uneducated because they are born out of a rape situation where they don't know who the father is.. & if a child doesn't have a birth certificate they can not go to school. Therefore, many uneducated women. Often times men will "marry" a woman so that they can abuse/have sex with them legally. Because prostitution is illegal. Super sad situations. 

Later we helped "days for girls" make reusable menstrual pads. I was basically just trying to keep my eyes open the whole time. I didn't get lunch today & walked a ton. I'm so tired & so hungry. It's 7pm & still haven't eaten😫