Prakash Kaur
(photo credit: Sikh Philosophy Network)
In December of 2011, I was lucky to catch a segment on the "20/20" news show about Prakash Kaur and her "Unique Home" for Girls in Punjab, India. I was moved to tears about the plight of these little baby girls, and the magnificent heart of Prakash for what she has done to save so many of them. Seeing that moving segment was my inspiration to start this blog. Because of that, I honor her with making her the subject of my first blog post.(photo credit: Sikh Philosophy Network)
In 1993, Prakash opened Unique Home as a place where unwanted Indian girls and infants are given a safe haven and a home. Some of the girls are abandoned, left for dead (sometimes wrapped in plastic), or are survivors of unsuccessful late-term abortion attempts (foeticide). The orphanage accepts all girls and the building even has a special “cradle” drop box where the babies can be dropped by the families that don’t want them.
Why are these girls unwanted? From my brief research, it seems that because females are considered a financial burden to to some families because of the "dowry" that has to accompany them in marriage - they are considered to be too expensive to keep. Often the mother wants to keep the baby, but the pressures from the husband (and often the husband’s family) force women into giving up or aborting their babies. It is estimated that a dowry death occurs in India every 93 minutes.
An additional sad note must be mentioned... the modern technology that brings so much joy to many expectant mothers around the world though gender determination tests is actually used as gender "discrimination" in India, leading ultimately to increase in female infanticide. Shady alley "medical facilities" are operated by unethical doctors who are willing to (illegally) identify and abort female fetuses.
Herself an abandoned baby, Prakash has created a unique orphanage in which her 60 or so "daughters" are given a safe place to be raised. And she will not allow any of the girls to be adopted - she wants to keep them safe from any further harm at the hands of others, such as abuse or sex trafficking. These girls are given a chance to go to school and thrive with the constant care and attention of Prakash and the staff at the orphanage. Several girls have gone on to be married, and some choose to dedicate themselves to the cause of the orphanage and women’s rights.
As one can imagine, the "removal" of so many women from India has other major implications in other areas of society. Namely there a fewer women for Indian men to marry and men have to travel long distances to find brides. This could also lead to a overall decline in the population of India due to a lower birthrates.
I will ask in all my blogs: What does this inspire you to do? How can you make a difference here, or with any other area of the world that needs your attention?
If you’d like to make a donation to unique House, you can do so through their U.K. based charity: http://www.uniquehomeforgirls.co.uk/index.php
Information sources for this blog post:
- http://www.thebetterindia.com/2350/mother-hope-prakash-kaur-and-her-unique-home-for-girls/
- http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/people-and-opinion/36526-prakash-kaur-mothers-60-abandoned-girls.html
- http://www.iheu.org/female-foeticide-in-india
