Here is possibly a great example of how an international network of like minded humanitarians were able to intercede and assist a family in Pakistan who's children were sold.

From: Ami Dar <Ami@idealist.org>
To: midwestloner@yahoo.com
Sent: Sat, January 9, 2010 1:02:01 PM
Subject: An amazing story

Hi Carl,

Yesterday morning, while working on some next steps to share with you
(I am sorry this took longer than we wanted, but you'll get them on
Monday), we got this email from Pakistan.

As soon as you read this, you'll see why I am sharing it with you. I
couldn't think of a better way to illustrate both the need and the
potential for this network we are building together.

Here is the email:

* * * *

Dear Ami,

I am Asma Naz. I work for women's human rights and ending violence
against women in Sindh, Pakistan, where many women are tortured,
humiliated, honor-killed, or trafficked in the name of marriage. In
the first week of December one poor woman came to me weeping badly, as
her addict husband had sold her three minor daughters to child
traffickers for a meager amount of money to meet his intoxication
needs. Me and my other companions tried our utmost to recover the baby
girls but to no avail.

It may be for your kind information that Sindh Province has a border
with the Province of Balochistan with difficult mountainous passages.
Here the governmental authorities cannot impose laws with full force
due to long existing feudal and tribal customs. So when we came to
know that the traffickers had taken the baby girls to Balochistan,
1,000 kilometers away, where they would probably be sold into
prostitution, we were much worried and horrified.

By my sheer good luck, last month I had contacted Mr. Sultan Ahmed
Tareen in Balochistan through the new Idealist network. We are now in
daily contact on mobile phone and internet. Mr. Sultan is an idealist,
a UNDP officer, by caste Balouch, and working also for women
empowerment. He is well known and respected in circles of local tribal
authorities and in governmental offices for his dedicated work.

When I narrated this whole matter to Mr. Sultan, he made hectic
efforts for this cause, traced the traffickers, and with the help of
local authorities, tribal chiefs, and human rights activists recovered
the baby girls from the traffickers and handed over them to us in
Sindh. These baby girls and their mother are now safe and sound at our
shelter.  All credit goes to Idealist organization.

* * * *

I would say, of course, that all credit goes to Asma and Sultan for
this amazing effort. As soon as I got this email I called Asma to
thank her, and both she and Sultan were happy for us to share this
story with you. If you'd like to respond to this story or to leave a
message for Asma or Sultan, please click here and scroll to the bottom
of the page:

http://bit.ly/7WhOcc

Thanks again, have a good weekend, and we'll be in touch again on Monday.

Ami Dar
http://www.idealist.org/more