The seed for the founding of The Amber Initiative was planted in the alleys of the Brothels in Kolkata (Calcutta); where we saw hope preponderating over the bleak and stark reality of sex trafficking that plagued the very alleys of Bolbazaar (Brothel area in Kolkata). “I have seen a crime & I have to report it.” was the spirit in which inspired many youth in Singapore & globally. The need to tear away from apathy was intense and deep.The Amber Initiative was created to stimulate and lead the supply of youth towards the ever increasing demand for the restoration & protection of human dignity.
Meixi Ng & Suraj Upadhiah, co-founders of The Amber Initiative, on the 7th of July 2008 driven with a passion for adventure and the love for communities made their way to the Brothels of Calcutta. Upon arrival, all they had were addresses of already existing NGO’s.
The Story
Excerpt from Suraj's Travel Log
"On the very first day, we met with the managing director of Sanlaap, a leading NGO in the provision of care for women and children in the brothels. We took our chances, and with racing hearts requested of him to arrange for us to gain entry into these notorious brothels. We were thrilled to meet the delightful children he was so enthusiastically raving about.
We solemnly walked down the alleys of the most notorious red-light district of Calcutta, Bolbazaar. Most dramatically, it started to pour and we were scrambling through puddles of brown mud. We reached a dingy room that was a Community Center within the brothels, minimally equipped with just a fan and a florescent light.
However, despite the grim surroundings, the center proved to be a room of children filled with HOPES, DREAMS & JOYS that overflowed. That room taught us a lesson on the triumph of the human spirit- that our spirit can never be snatched away from us even if living one more day is less of a certainty than that of dying.
That day marked a new turn in our lives.The notorious brothels of Calcutta were ridiculously strewn with hope!
After learning more about brothel life and the sex trafficking issue, we started to reflect on our lives and how we are put to shame for endless complaints about school or about the heat in Singapore. Our hearts were set ablaze, we were on fire because we had seen first hand how joy and love were so abundant in the brothels. We had made great friends and nurtured real relationships. We could not ignore it. It was at that moment that we saw that it was our moral responsibility and obligation to tell all close to us the story of our friends.
The group started to grow and so we called ourselves, The Amber Initiative. Amber signifying the glowing light of hope we aim to be."
Suraj Upadhiah, Co-Founder, The Amber Initiative, July 2008