As you walk into the dilapidated, hot and dusty building of FreeSet with its rows of sewing machines at which about dozen ladies sat and sewed the word “sweat shop” comes to mind and one can wander off into self-righteousness thinking about the exploitation of the impoverished by wealthy western corporations. This image is far from the truth of what is going on here, in fact this tall, busy building situated near the Kolkata red-light district represents hope for hundreds of girls trying to escape the sex-trade. Many women from the countryside are tricked into a life of prostitution by offers to the family of a job in the city and some are just trafficked into it.
FreeSet (http://freesetglobal.com/who-we-are/our-story.html) has given hope to these women and their children for the past ten-years by training them to produce the many types of products that FreeSet provide to the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. This includes bags, t-shirts and other objects – some of which bear the logos and marketing phrases of western corporations. It is a business that is built on faith, fuelled with hope and managed in the love of Christ, whose story is amazing, but not as amazing as the stories of the women in employs, more than that, the women it gives hope to. King David wrote “No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame” and that is what I saw on the faces of these women as we toured the buildings. Their journey from where they were back to a normal life may be a long one, their journey to faith in Christ may be even longer, but they are on the journey and that what is important. Praise God!
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