Author(s): Sharon Hendry

Biography

The nightmare began with a seemingly innocent sip of Coca- Cola, drunk by a starving and desperately thirsty 14-year-old girl. Thus began the first of Radhika Pariyar’s human trafficking experiences. Drugged, Radhika woke up hours later, in great pain, only to discover that her kidney had been removed and sold to the highest bidder. A strong young woman, Radhika moved on with her life, marrying and having a much loved child (see photograph, left), but after her marriage failed, Radhika moved from her village in Nepal to give her son a better life but again found herself in the hands of traffickers. Living in India, separated from her son and forced to have sex with up to 25 men a day, Radhika did not accept her lot, however. Desperate to be reunited with her child, Radhika fought against the odds to escape her horrific life, rescue her son and finally find sanctuary in a refuge set up to help survivors of trafficking. Journalist Sharon Hendry tells Radhika’s horrifying but incredibly inspiring story. She also highlights the pervasive nature of human trafficking in the 21st century. Proceeds from the book will go to Maiti, the charity that helped Radhika and which continues to help survivors of trafficking.