Love146.org

In November, Glenn Miles, the Director of Prevention for Love146, and Jamie Sampson, a videographer, both members of Linden Church in Swansea, UK will be visiting India to research the situation of a minority group called the hijira.

The hijira were traditionally the eunuchs of the maharajas but more recently they live together in communities where they are more often than not rejected and despised by the wider community. They wear saris and often prostitute themselves in order to get money to survive.

The way boys enter the hijira communities is not clear and this is partly what the research is about.

Glenn and Jamie are hoping to meet and interview hijira adults to understand how they became hijira, to interview at risk children to understand what may be drawing them in and to interview the public and Christian leaders to understand their attitudes and prejudices.

At the end of the 2 weeks they hope to have sufficient material to formulate the basis of a research project and a short documentary. This material will in turn be used to raise awareness about the issues of concern, encourage further action and perhaps lay the foundation of a project to work with potential hijira boys.

They are working with three partners on this project; IMCARES in Mumbai, Viva in Delhi and SISU in Hyderabad.

For more information about this project contact Glenn Miles glenn@love146.org and for more info on Love146 check out the website www.Love146.org