New Light in Kalighat

September 15th, 2011 by Authentic

In May 2011, I joined America Ferrera and Nick Kristof in Kolkata, India, where America and Nick filmed a segment for the upcoming PBS special (to air in 2012) based on Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s bestselling book. We spent much of our time at New Light in Kalighat, a very poor area and one of the city’s oldest red light districts which is also home to Mother Teresa’s home for the dying and destitute. New Light, which is run by the extraordinary Urmi Basu, is a secular nonprofit charitable trust that works to educate and care for the children of local sex workers. New Light provides food, health care, education, shelter, and recreation to hundreds of kids. New Light also works on HIV/AIDS care and prevention, legal aid, microcredit for women, and also operates a shelter for the children of the Dalit, the traditionally “untouchable” cast.