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Calcutta is like no other place on Earth. My nose never got a break from its stench, I felt like I had to always look down at my every step as I never knew what I could put my foot in next, the persistent beeping of traffic was inescapable and suffocating, every time we had to cross the street I wanted to scream and hold the hands of my friends until I got to the other side. But there is something here that made me want to stay. There was a richness in this city that I felt like I have only skimmed the surface of, there is a beauty to this city that looked beyond the devastating poverty which exists at every turn. I had my first sips of authentic Indian lassi here, but I wanted badly to have more time to sit at a chai stall and talk with the locals. For a city that many foreigner at first sight would never deem as beautiful, I was starting to discover its beauty by the end of my stay.

I discovered more than the beauty of Calcutta this week. Though I’m here to help Ellie Fun Day uncover the beginnings of their journey, I have started to see my own path fall into place. It’s like reading one of J. K. Rowling’s good books (HUGE Harry Potter fan here). She has become a favorite author of mine because of the way she takes me through a story, she never wastes a character, a moment, or a single detail. Each thing is beautifully written and put into place for a reason. She always surprises me with her twists and turns and how she intricately weaves very rich stories. She slowly reveals her purpose for every person, place and thing by the end of the book. No matter how hard I try to guess, she always throws in a surprise at the end. In Calcutta I felt like I was half way through a such a good book where earlier details started falling into place and its purpose slowly being revealed, this is the part of the book you slowly find yourself edged at your seat.

I felt the presence of the Author of my life in Calcutta, it was almost as if I was watching His hand pen these pages that had incredible meaning for my past as well as my future. It felt incredible as suddenly I really sensed that nothing in my life had ever been frivolously wasted. Those years in my youth that I had hungered to be a missionary but felt like I had wandered off the path to become deep in the trenches of the design industry to loving my life as a wife and mother and now somehow finding my way back to my camera all suddenly had a significance that I still can’t seem to articulate.

In this crazy place called Calcutta where we often did not know our way, I never felt lost; a place that made me squirm with discomfort yet I felt completely in my element. I found beauty that is significant here to its people as well as to my own life. This city will be forever a significant part of my own story that is still being penned by a hand that is so much more powerful than my own. So I am excited to see how this detail gets played out in the remaining pages of my life, because for me…this is where the adventure begins.

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On our Day 5 we made our first of many visits to cotton mills. One of the most important tasks on this trip is to find reliable and quality sources for Ellie Fun Day’s materials. I’ve learned so much about organic cottons and the process of manufacturing textiles. We went from seeing cotton in the rawest form, then being spun, woven, dyed, screen printed, and then eventually sewn together into the products we see in high end boutiques. I was giddy seeing the names of some labels I love and recognize. Next up with be the last of my images from Calcutta as we depart from there and head south to meet with the women of Trivandrum who will be hand making Ellie Fun Day‘s blankets. Stay tuned!

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I’m still haunted by the women I saw on the streets. Hands on their hips, red lips, and eyes that are glazed. Very little life exist in them because they are used, beaten, and are regarded as the lowest creatures on earth. These women were sold into sex trafficing by their fathers, boyfriends, or husbands. Some were kidnapped from villages from Nepal for their desirable fair skin. They did not choose to be a prostitute, prostitution chose them.

Each night 10,000 women line the streets where 20,000 men come to have their pick. If you do the math it means some women make more than one transaction a night while others may not be able to bring much back to their families.

In the midst of such darkness, I found hope. I visited with 2 organizations who have not only chosen to work in this undesirable area, but also to live in it. SariBari is a company who makes beautiful blankets, scarves, bags, and other gorgeous things out of recycled saris. Freeset is a company who specializes in Jute bags and as well as handmade organic cotton t-shirts. Beth with SariBari is a young women of only 30 who has spent her entire 20’s working at SariBari. Kerry & Annie who founded Freeset moved their entire family with 4 children to live in this neighborhood. Both companies employ the women who are in the sex trade to empower them towards freedom. They provide these ladies not only with employment, but with an education, childcare, healthcare, and counseling. They have given up their entire lives for this cause.

A week ago, I was given a very rare opportunity to photograph the women who work at Freeset. It was a humbling experience that they had not given to other photographers. It is dangerous to show their faces due to the possibility of their former owners coming after them. However I got to spend time with each and every one of them and captured them in action. Before long they were all crowded around my camera so that they could see what they looked like in my lens. They smiled, giggled, and kept asking for more.

I then realized that seeing a portrait of themselves is a very rare treat. These photographs made them feel beautiful when that is the the least of what they felt. So the remainder of the day, I photographed each woman. I wanted to capture each of them in the way I see her; the same way that God sees her. They are beautiful souls, full of life and hope. It is also through this that I realize what Freeset has done for them. They are no longer like the women I saw standing on the streets, eyes glazed and lost. They now have freedom; a purpose, mother figures to aspire to, and a family of people who love and care for them.

Through photographing Freeset I received more than I gave. I therefore want to share with you a glimpse of what goes on there. However, please be aware than none of these images show faces, at least not faces that are big enough to be recognizable.

Read about Ellie Fun Day’s account.

The last image is by Nate Chan.

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The last 4 days has been awakening for me. We have been going into the heart of the red light district of Calcutta and observing the way amazing men and women have given their lives to give freedom to those who are trapped in the sex trade.

I have been given the rare privilege of photographing some of these women. The amount of images are overwhelming, so I hope to share it with you in a few days. Please stay tuned. For now, enjoy a few more stories off of the streets.

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