i started a non-profit in july called, resc\you. we’ve been moving slowly, but we’re moving. in november we were in the southeast outlook, which was fun. knowing that 30,000 people may read about your cause was pretty humbling. i didn’t expect much to happen from it. mostly, the article made resc\you a reality and not something i was doing with my friends.

a couple weeks ago, there was snow here in louisville and i didn’t have school. so i’m sitting at home watching golden girls and the courier journal calls my house (i have caller id). i wasn’t going to answer it, i thought they were going to hassle me to buy the paper…but on a whim i did..and there was a girl named nikki on the other line. she googled me (i’ve never been googled. i didn’t know i was that interesting) and found out my home number and address. (i hate that i was listed as a “polo fields woman”…i don’t like that i live in that neighborhood. i like my house) she heard my story from the outlook months prior and wanted to feature me in the neighborhoods section of the paper. yes ma’am, sign me up!

that came out last week. you can look it up on www.courier-journal.com and go to neighborhoods. you’ll find me.

i’ve gotten a much bigger response. classmates, my bro’s friend even forwarded it to all their college buddies. i’m so glad that people are behind the movement. to end trafficking.

then the earthquake in haiti struck, and the resc\you team begins to wonder if maybe we need to shift some focus to haiti, even if india is where our hearts are. we’re looking into travelling there once i graduate (april please please hurry up!!!) and seeing how we can help. i’ve been reading and people have been sending me lots of articles on how trafficking has become more prevalent since the earthquake. it’s still something we’re thinking about.

school this semester is going to be rough. i have 21 credit hours, a 20 hour a week practicum and i work on the weekends. i’m still keeping up with everything, or at least trying to. the greatest thing about resc\you is now i have people to delegate things too, my social life is nonexistent anyway, and i finally got my schedule back in sync with eric’s so i can start muay thai again.

next week is february, so i’m closer to the end anyway.

2010 is good to me so far. i’m glad i got to usher it in with great friends. i’m glad that transition is happening in my life. india did an upheavel of my life and now i finally get to see how all of that plays out. i think the second trip was more beneficial than the first. i’m glad i went the first time and i got to meet the people that i did. i’m happy that i got to see india with my own eyes and my own interpretations. travelling with  25 people will definitely influence the way you understand what’s going on. i think some people saw me as a lot more broken than i am or was, so they never gave me the chance to process. i was handed an interpretation of what happened on that day. i’m glad that i got 6 weeks on my own. i definitely learned a lot about who amy was and what i was capapble of. i was in a few dangerous situations, and i came through them. i learned who my friends were and weren’t. i learned who supported me. i was given the opportunity to lead resc\you and the stretching opportunity that it is. and the friendships that have deepened because of it.

well, class is starting soon. i must go.

have a nice day.

You have some big shoes to fill. Being 26 had some great moments. However, you are at an advantage because 26 set so many things up for you. This year is going to be a wide ride. Resc\You officially launched today, you’re already low on shirts. People are interested in something. People are interested in change, and we get to be in the midst of all that. It’s so exciting. Don’t get in the way of it.

You have a lot of growing to do and 26 wants you to finish out some plans. You’re running the mini-marathon, completing the Sprint Triathlon in Naperville, losing the last 60 pounds. Resc\You is going to make some big changes, so be open to that.

The road ahead is going to be fun. Love lots. Laugh a bunch. Stand up for what you believe in and make 28 shake in it’s boots.

Peace, Amy

Today is the official launch of Resc\You, a non profit started to turn off the lights in Red Light Districts all over the world. I’m so excited and nervous, but I can’t imagine doing anything else right now.

School will be over in six months and Resc\You has tons of plans for the summer that I am incredibly excited about. I am so stoked. Whenever I question whether or not to continue with Resc\You I remember a few things.

1) Bittu. The child I met in Khidderpore.

2) Madelin. My niece. I want her to live in a world where she is valued for the strength she possesses.

3) The amazing women in my life. That we live in freedom and we’re so powerful and strong.

4) The amazing men in my life. Who foster and encourage.

I want to thank my India family for all the conversations and encouragement that comes from them. For having that experience with me. Especially Abby and Kris, who are taking the wild ride with me.

I’m so ready for this year.

i didn’t get a job i had applied for, my warden is leaving, one of my inmates had a really bad day, an officer is treating my inmates horribly, i missed bootcamp this morning, a wreck on I-71 made me miss class this morning. guh.

resc\you stuff is really coming together. however it’s horrifying for me. i’m not used to being seen and heard. now i’m getting to speak and people want to meet with me and it freaks me out. freaks me out! but it’s a good thing. i know resc\you is what i’m supposed to do. i can’t say no to it.

so in a couple weeks our shirts will come out and i’ll be throwing resc\you in your face. it’s really exciting and i have tons of support. it’s looking really good. i’m super excited and super scared.

school and practicum are going really well. it’s keeping me very busy and my days run about 15-17 hours. which is nice. i like to stay busy. i’m having to learn how to balance everything that needs to be done, especially with resc\you now on the platter.

the prison is the best place to be for a practicum. my supervisors are awesome! and the inmates are pretty great.

so now here’s phase one of resc\you!

starting the scholarship fund!

spendyourself is helping us out by selling a shirt. It will be $25. The proceeds with go to our partner organization, Faceless International (that are so graciously letting us use their 501c3 until we can get our own). Then they will make their way to India in october of 2010 to help children who live in the Khidderpore Red Light District go to boarding school and then on to college. i’m so excited. my friend, kris byerly, designed the shirts and did such an incredible job!

also their is going to be a bake sale in the works for my birthday month (november) and all those proceeds going to the Resc\You College Fund.

so buy a shirt!

i wanted to update you on what’s going on. i just started my last year of grad school. it has proven CRAZY.  i’m an art therapist at the kentucky corrections institute for women. and i’ve jumped off a cliff. 

a couple weeks ago, i was given the opportunity to talk at church and i totally didn’t go by my notes. i just had to talk about what happened in my life. you can check it out here : http://vimeo.com/6364544

so resc\you is starting. i have 4-5 phases planned so far. only one with a time line. i know that everything takes time. i’m not rushing anything. it’s really terrifying, but it’s really exciting. 

it’s really crazy that slavery happens, people know about it and not many are doing anything about it. it’s a disservice to humanity to know that things like this happen and we sit back. 

the video explains more than i can type. but i’m shaking knowing that this is happening.

#1

I am a big fan of traveling. Sometimes it’s not the greatest thing to do alone,however I enjoy it. Leaving Louisville was hard this time. My family all surprised me at the airport. After I got to Chicago, I was over being sad. I miss them, but I’m not sad anymore.

I slept all the way from Louisville to Chicago. I had a dream and a friend of mine was there. He was laughing and telling me that everything was going to be okay. I just needed to go, trust him, everything was going to be okay. 

I’m pretty much the master at the O’Hare airport. I remember where to go, laugh as I walk down the hallway made famous by “Home Alone”. I grabbed dinner and sat at my gate for just about an hour before boarding. Lucky me, I shared a four-seat row with one other person. She ended up taking 3 of the seats by laying down, but I still didn’t have someone sitting next to me. 

I could barely sleep on the way to Delhi. I watched about 6 movies, listening to Kings of Leon and Dave Matthews Band. I tossed and turned a lot, my butt went numb. I safely made it to Delhi, where I am sitting in the visitor’s lounge. My phone works here and I’ve let people know that I’ve made it. My parents are happy. I have a 9 hour lay over here. It’s almost 10pm, so there is no point in going anywhere or getting a hotel. 

A taxi driver tried to get me to let him take me somewhere. The man at customs thought I was the sweetest person (his words), because I have come to India twice in one year to help people. I still miss my friends and family terribly. Wishing that some of them were here to keep me company while I sit here in this lounge. 

I made a new friend while in line at customs. His name is Chris and he is from Denver. He and I were accidentally in the “Diplomat and Officials” line. We tried to act the part, but ended up being moved to a much quicker line. 

I stole a blanket from the plane. Turns out it’s 104 degrees here at 10pm in New Delhi, India. Seriously, 104 at night! The heat hits you like a brick. I hope the three books I brought in my carry-on get me through these 9 Hours. I am already half way through Darkly Dreaming Dexter,from the plane. 

Walking alone through Delhi’s airport is probably not the safest thing for a girl like me to do. I just had to look straight ahead and like I slightly knew what was going on. I just realized that you can pay the man guarding the more comfy chairs, but I only have dollars and not rupees. I’m not about to venture out and find those. 

Well, I’m very glad to have made this trip. I already feel at home in a country that I love so very much. I wish I could hug it, but India knows my heart and how much joy I felt when our plane landed and I knew I was home. 

I am safe and sound here. I feel no danger. I’m protected. 

I’m glad to have so many of you traveling with me virtually. It helps in the loneliness that comes in traveling by yourself. Many of you know my heart and how important this trip is to me. You also know just how much I love this country. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous or scared. I have a few “What the hell?” moments. That’s to be expected. Overall, I’m just really excited to be here and love on this place. To help out these girls who have been in so much danger and are now safe. 

This is going to be so great. So great. 

Peace. 

#2

Still later on day one..er two.

I was not aware that once I arrived in Delhi that I was supposed to switch airports. Hmm. I was beginning to get nervous when I didn’t see my flight on the screen.  So I was making conversation with some american/british tourists and they told me that I was at the wrong airport. 

I was told by a guard with an AK-47 to go to the ticket window. The guard there, also packing heat, was asleep. Ha! He didn’t understand me at all (after he woke up of course). Then a young woman came out of an office and helped me. A taxi driver harrassed me again and I had to give him a little bonafide American attitude and let him know (after 10-12 times of being my normal sweetheart self) that I was taking the FREE bus. 

About 45 minutes later I am in the right place. I’m waiting for my flight to board. I feel very protected, every 3rd person or so is carrying a massive gun. Even the guy in the front seat of the bus had a gun. We play no games here. 

I just hope my luggage was made aware of the airport change because it was checked all the way to Kolkata. If not, meh..I’ll be in the same clothes for awhile…Or buying some saris. 

Back to reading Dexter. 

#3

Welcome to Kolkata! 

I have been in the city a couple days now. My luggage did not make it to Kolkata with me. I believe it’s at the airport this morning. Paul (my roommate and fellow volunteer) are going to venture that way today. 

I’m still not used to Kolkata time. I woke up at 5:30am. I tossed and turned until 7 and decided to just go ahead and shower. I’ve been in the same clothing since June 2, so a shower is much welcomed. 

Yesterday I switched apartments to live with Paul instead of on my own. Another volunteer will soon be joining us. I was living on my own and had no idea how to communicate how to get from place to place. I was not within walking distance of anywhere. It was also very lonely. I talked to Smarita and she got me switched. 

I visited the Destiny Center and met some of the girls and saw where I’d be working these next few weeks. Now that I’m around someone I can talk to and laugh with, I feel more at home here. Despite all the obstacles that have been in the way. Kolkata is such a magical place, India is such a magical country. I loved being here from the moment I stepped on it’s soil. 

Yesterday I got to sight see a little more and walk about the city. I believe I sweat off about 5 pounds. We went to this mall that kick Mall St. Matthews and Oxmoor out of the water. the sad part about it is that literally right in front of this mall is a slum. Behind the mall they are building multiple luxury apartments. A slum is within 50 feet of all that. Really, India? That’s what you want to spend your money on? Your brothers and sisters are in huts made from plastic bags and bark and you are cool and comfortable in your skyrise luxury apartment? 

To top it all off, it’s monsoon season. Yes, MONSOON season. There was a cyclone a few weeks ago too and slums were literally picked up and blown away. I don’t know what makes people put themselves above others in such a way. Indians do not have the ability to fall back on anything like Americans do. There’s no unemployment, welfare, medicare/medicaid, no food stamps or section 8 housing. This caste system is BS. Plain and simple. 

I was reading yesterday that instead of the economic crisis hurting the trafficking industry, they’ve just lowered the price of a slave. They have doubled the amount of people woman and girls who serve in the brothels have to “service”.  This economic crisis has also lead to many families selling off their children. Our global community is in serious trouble. 

Serious Trouble. 

Today, we’re going to Park Street; a very touristy area of Kolkata. Should be fun to get away slightly from what we’re here to do and be tourists in such an amazing city. I’m so excited to see what else this place has in store! 

Hope the world is finding the rest of you well! 

Namaste.

india took a bigger piece of my heart this time. i wish my india fam was here to experience this with me. or any of my friends and family. however, i’m glad this journey was taken alone.

i’m pretty much packed. except for what i’m wearing right now and some other things.  i’m just hoping traveling home is smooth. that my luggage makes it to kentucky when i do. hahaha.

i’m pretty stoked for wednesday morning. a) my ma is taking a 1/2 day off to come and pick me up. b) madelin turns one years old that day! c) on friday, my da is making his infamous pizza (it’s just a glimpse of what the feast in heaven will be like) andtwo of my bestest friends, terri  and karri are coming for the weekend. oh my goodness! madelin’s birthday party is saturday.

i get to finally call abby. meet with echo and nichole. i have a crapload of craziness that awaits me when i get home. i’m excited.

i’m so pleased with my time and experience here. i’m broken hearted that it’s over. i’m ready to get started with everything. i’m coming back.

a note to my future husband:

our lives are going to be crazy. i hope the marriage license comes with a passport and a sense of adventure.

i will miss this place so very very much.

the next time you read this, i’ll be blogging from my home in louisville.

yesterday i discovered that someone took Rs500 from my wallet. it was there in the cab, it was there when i put a list in my bag, gone when i got in smarita’s car. i am not going to point any fingers. luckily they left the other Rs500 that i had for the taxi ride to the airport on tuesday. it’s only $10, and i had the money in my account. i’m only going to places i can walk to anyway.

today was such a wonderful day. dev, the landlord, came to collect rent. i tried to fake him out by acting like i was having conversation on my mobile, because he’s a big talker..however my trickery didn’t work and he stayed at the apartment for 30 minutes talking to me. he wanted to know where i was from (no one knows where kentucky is. i’m not cali, chicago, or nyc..so i don’t matter), how long i was going to be here, how i know paul and becky, if i dated paul, then he said that it’s not good for a girl to be by herself (dude, i’m a force to be reckoned with) that i had his number if i got scared (our door locks like fort knox, all the windows have bars, the balcony is barred as well). he said i should come to his house for tea too.

the neighbour got very upset and was banging down my door today and ringing the doorbell like a madman. i know why, so i didn’t anwer the door. we have a bunch of stray dogs that live outside our flats (this is not a country for the tim turners, coleen turners and emily weedmans of the world). one of them has a paw that is green and busted open. well, we feed them once a day. i fed green paw inside the gates to our flats and our neighbour hates the dogs. get over it old man, he needs to eat.

other than those interuptions it was amazingly quiet. i took a little walk, read, found salsa at the grocery and my heart rejoiced. i watched high fidelity. now i’m about to wrap up for the night.

it was a great day of reflecting. yesterday my heart broke because smarita said india really needs a person like me. i wish i could stay longer but it’s time to get back to kentucky.

i’ve been thinking about doing the invisible children fall internship in 2010, after i gradaute. it’s the perfect time. i was supposed to do it in the fall of 2007, but they wanted me in san diego the next day. i was working fulltime, i hadn’t saved enough money to go. i told them then to keep me in mind for the future.

this brings me back to an earlier entry, about how can i get kids excited about trafficking and it’s end as the ic kids did for the war in uganda. what better way to figure out how it all works than becoming part of it? i’m still thinking it over. my friend,abby, and i have a huge discussion about how we’re going to do this. and i’m incredibly excited about this discussion. abby is a visionary and i know that we can come up with something brilliant. i know there are probably a few other minds that want to join us. it’s going to take a lot of sacrifice, location changes and noise…but, i know it’s possible.

it’s dangerous for me to be alone in my thoughts. very dangerous. because i come up with fantastical ideas that are all guts and probably scare the hell out of my family. i’m a dreamer and a risktaker, and maybe as my age increases i should be more careful..but actually i don’t. i get more and more risky.

but what’s faith if you’re not taking a risk?

faith is taking the first step when you haven’t seen the entire staircase.

the more i get to absorb this country, the more i love it. the more i want to help it.

while waiting for a taxi, a woman came up to be begging for food. i said “nay nay” and she was about to hit me with her walking stick. i probably would have laughed at that. she kept saying something to me in bengali and walked over to a man on a scooter. they sped off.

if you’re going to have someone working for you sir, please hid at least. now i remember what you look like. i remember what that woman looks like. if you hadn’t been in sight, i may have walked her into the grocery store behind me and bought her some food. you ruined it.

i wonder how we have been able to ignore trafficking with it happening right under our noses? merely 10 feet away from me was this scooter man. how many times have we given money to someone and their scooter man has been just a few feet from us?

last night, after paul left, i got to sit and think about what i had done in india. i haven’t really processed everything, i have saturday-monday for that. i probably will talk a few days at home to do so as well. it’s very surreal. part of me doesn’t believe i’m really in india because what i remember about india isn’t around me. there are so many times i thought that rita was in the room with me as a thought would pop into my head. or the bus ride discussions.

this trip has not only made me fall in love with india more, but realize who amy is and what amy is about. without anyone else around to define an experience for me. when i went in december, i was in the middle of a huge transition in my life. a lot of different things were going on. now that most of that is over, and i’m defining myself as a (almost) 27 year old woman, i realize what india is really about to me.

india is magic, mystery, beauty and romance. it’s tragdey, emergency and poverty. it’s a beautiful mess. it’s diversity, culture and tradition. it’s laughter, singing, dancing and celebration. it’s a beautiful, beautiful mess.

thank you, india, for being so honest. despite the burdens you bear, you present them at our feet in hopes we can pick up the pieces and restore you. and we will.

fact #1: there are 27 million people in slavery right now.  that’s almost triple the amount in the transatlantic trade of the 17th and 18th century.

fact #2: slavery is illegal…everywhere.

fact#3: 50% of those enslaved are children, that totals 13,500,000. 80% are women and girls, that totals 21,600,000. 70% are in the sex industry, that totals 18,900,000.

fact #4: 75% of the prostitutes in Japan are trafficked.

fact #5: 600,000-800,00 are trafficking across international borders every year.

fact #6: 20,000 women are trafficked into the USA every year for domestice work, agriculture labor and sex work. 200,000-600,000 a year into the European Union.

fact #7: $32,000,000,000 dollars a year in made in trafficking.

fact #8: 25% of the women trafficked into Kentucky are for sex.

fact #9: 15,000-20,000 people are trafficked into the United States every year.

fact #10: 35,000 children die a day from starvation.

fact #11: the average age of a sex worker in India is 9 years old.

fact #12: the average cost of a slave is $30

fact #13: 15-20 Neplai girls are trafficked into India everyday.

fact #14: Prostitution in Canada (by trafficked girls) makes $400 million dollars annually.

fact #15: 46% of those trafficked into the United States are for sex.

fact #16: 1.7 million kids are reported as runaways every year in the US. About 52% of those are involved in trafficking.

fact #17: January 24, 2002 the “T” visas were signed into legislation. Permitting those trafficked into the USA citizenship and access to state aid.

fact #18: You can help stop this.

have a wonderful day!