Charity accused of admitting trafficked children

A Christian charity in Tamil Nadu has found itself embroiled in a row after accusations that trafficked children from Nepal were allegedly admitted as orphans.

The Coimbatore-based Michael Job Centre houses over 500 girls that the organisation says has been abandoned or orphaned.

A report by The Telegraph last week said parents had paid a child-trafficker in Nepal over 100 pounds to take their daughters to schools in Kathmandu, but instead they were brought to the Christian orphanage and school.

The report said the girls were later converted and given western names. Further, they were given serial numbers and profiles on several websites, to attract sponsors from around the world.

Founded in 2000 by well known charismatic preacher Dr. PP Job, the Michael Job Centre provides education, food and shelter to hundreds of girls, mainly those of "martyred and persecuted Christian parents".

The orphanage is named after Dr. Job's son Michael who was allegedly murdered as retaliation for Job's evangelistic activities.

Trouble began last month after a UK-registered anti-trafficking group, Esther Benjamins Trust (EBT), conducted a raid at the Job Centre with the assistance of Indian officials.

The Trust, founded by Lt Col Philip Holmes, a Christian from a staunchly Protestant family in Northern Ireland, discovered that very few of the children were from Christian families, and many were kept far from their families for up to 10 years.

Twenty-three children were rescued during the raid.

Many of the children rescued were from Nepal and was reportedly brought by Himalayan Orphanage Development Centre, Humla, run by Dal Bahadur Phadera.

Hundreds of parents had paid Phadera to educate children in boarding schools in Kathmandu.

The Tamil Nadu government has apparently cancelled the Job Centre's licence following the raid. The Centre has been given 15 days to prove that it was not involved in child trafficking.

The Centre's founder PP Job denied any knowledge that the children had families in Nepal. He said his institution was only involved in providing good education and shelter to these children.

Job also acknowledged that the girls were accepted by him into the orphanage without verifying the antecedents.

Commenting on the raid, Pastor George, a leader of the Indian Pentecostal Church, said the guilty should be apprehended. "And if it is a mere propaganda, then a thorough investigation must be carried out to expose those in the wrong," he said.

He added: "Not happy with the works of Christians, many have indulged in disinformation. This could be one such case as the alleged trafficker Phadera had not revealed personal details of the children when he brought them to the orphanage."

The NGO run by Phadera has been earlier blacklisted for its activities. The Nepal government is yet to take any action against those involved in sending the girls to Coimbatore.