If you’re old enough to be alive during the 1980s and groove to the eclectic tunes of that decade, you’ve probably heard Murray Head’s smash pop hit One Night in Bangkok and its unmistakable lyrics…“

When thinking of social ventures like Destiny Center, Freeset, or Sari Bari, it might be tempting to think of them along the same lines as charity.  I not only believe this is incorrect, but also that this perception among some customer segments inhibits the success of these ventures.  If the quality of the products is very poor, then the case could be made that buying these products is an act of charity. 
 

In Calcutta (or rather Kolkata as it's usually spelled nowadays) there are three young women from the US who have each done something extraordinary.  I hope more people can hear about what they've done and gain inspiration from their stories.  Let me start off by noting that Kolkata is not an easy place to live for most people used to life in the US or other Western countries.  The reason for this is that the public services, air quality, general living conditions, and the culture are very different from what most of us in the western part of the world have grown accusto

Most of the overt prostitution in Calcutta occur in the evening in the red light districts where women actually line up along the street for passers by, like some sort of commodity that can be picked over, chosen, used, and abused.  It might be tempting to think that the women want to be there since they`re standing out there without a gun to their head.  But the gun in this situation is behind the scenes in the physical violence, coercion, and desperation that holds these women hostage to a brothel owner/madam.

I can't possible recap the last 3 days in a single blog entry.  I've met inspiring people doing challenging, life changing work.  The social enterprises I've been able to visit and experience firsthand are making a profound impact in the lives of hundreds of women who have made it out of the sex industry, forging ahead in a new life for themselves and often their kids as well. 

That's what this large barrier in the middle of a 4-lane road running out of Kolkata airport said.  It wouldn't be very noteworthy in most places but it is here where an outsider visiting for the first time wonders if there are any rules at all!  Cars, trucks, motorcycles, auto rickshaws and bikes all jockey for position, honking incessantly and flashing each other as they approach too closely, all in what seems like a chaotic though rhythmic dance extenuated by loud horns and large black puffs of diesel exhaust. 

Not to India that is, but rather wide awake in the very early hours of the morning finishing up last minute necessities prior to a trip half a world away.   Everything has come together quite well for the trip, except of course my failure to heed Paul's advice to get a good night's rest before embarking on a 24+ hour journey...