When I was a child, I used to look up to writers like Charles Dickens and Hesba Stretton, who used their literary gift to raise awareness for impoverished children secretly abused by Victorian England. I used to wish I had lived then so that I, too, could join the ranks of rebel authors who dared to write on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves, even against the flow of public opinion.
But when I became a teenager and especially as I did research for The Untouchable Queen, a horrible reality hit me: these things do go on. Everyday in India, as well as many other parts of the world, children are abused and their innocence stolen unhindered. Helpless little girls who have no way of defending themselves are subject to atrocities their own families put them through in the name of their religion. How will they ever know that they are loved? How will they know just how precious they are? Who will give them a chance at life, an opportunity to escape?
For more information on this issue, go to https://www.gfa.org/ministries/abando... located on a site called Gospel For Asia, who helps these vulnerable children everyday. And for a beautiful song written to girls who were trafficked, listen to "Priceless" by For King and Country: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPgSr....
Lastly, for excellent books on the subject, I recommend: A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael and Pandita Ramabai: The Story of Her Life. Amy Carmichael and Pandita Ramabai were courageous women who took the matter of saving these children personally. Their organizations are still operating today.
It is in our hands to give these children the better life that they deserve, to let them know that they are priceless.