In October, 2012 a new bill for bride kidnapping received its second reading, but there were fears and uncertainties as to whether the bill would receive sufficient political backing to successfully pass through parliament.

January 28th, 2013 President Almazbek Atambayev passed a new law which increases the maximum prison sentence for bride-kidnapping from three to seven years. Kidnappers abducting girls under the age of 17, which is the minimum legal age for marriage, now face a punishment of up to ten years in prison. Restless Beings has been working in Bishkek to support the wellbeing of victims and welcomes this vital measure to ensure that a woman’s right to choose is respected and protected.

Myself and fellow restless being Foreda, whilst working on another charity project in Sylhet, managed to battle through the crazy traffic jams of Dhaka to make our way to the Restless Beings Bangladesh Rehab Centre and Home in January this year. It was the first time in our two and half years of becoming restless beings, that we were able to go see the Rehab Centre and Home and the amazing team that have been working so tirelessly to bring hope to so many forgotten and marginalised children on the streets of Dhaka.

Having lived in Bangladesh for almost two months prior to our visit, we witnessed on a daily basis the struggle that befalls those on the streets; vulnerable and desperate futures  are what lie ahead. The scenes put into context why such acts of young children abusing drugs; taking dandy to escape from the harsh and very gruesome realities of their ‘childhood,’ and relying on gangs and pimps for some sort of familial support and home are so apparent in the lives of street children.

On Tuesday 22nd January 2013, at the House of Commons, the Co-Founder of Restless Beings Rahima Begum was recognised in the British Bangladeshi Power 100. The BBPower100 is an event which celebrates leading British Bangladeshi figures who are helping shape the future of Britain with their ideas and talent, whilst recognising their success in a wide range of fields.

Rahima was recognised under the 'Emerging Influence' category for her tireless work and utter devotion not only to her work within Restless Beings but also her work across the community from co-hosting and speaking at women's rights events, championing arts and networking across the British Bangladeshi community, alongside work with local and national media. As an inspirational figure Rahima is a highly sought after panel expert, and has lectured on human rights both domestically and internationally.  Her work leading Restless Beings support for the persecuted Rohingya community in Myanmar as well as women's rights in Kyrgyzstan received particular praise.

When the street children of Dhaka were asked why they flock to the people who wear the "green hand" and the ones who call themselves “Wrestling Beans”, they all say the same thing – we trust them, they listen, they understand and they care.

On one such day, in early November, the team came across a teenage girl named Kolpona; her name meaning ‘fantasy’ or ‘imagination’. Tragically none of the team could imagine the challenges she has to face.

The head of a prominent Women’s NGO said “Bride kidnapping does not exist in Armenia”, a direct contradiction to the reality throughout Armenia. Indeed on the surface, a bystander would agree; in the public sphere bride kidnapping is neither talked about nor studied. However, through the medium of independent surveys and interviews, data was collected which revealed an overwhelming prevalence of this silent but powerful legacy in Armenia.

In the cool month of November the Restless Beings Bangladesh team sip tea with some of the street children. Through these moments the team have come to witness how the children go about their day. Despite facing events and deprivations that no child should experience they have an acute appreciation of the simple things in life.

The team have endeavoured to capture these fleeting moments, insignificant to passers-by but monumental to their make up. 

Monday 10th December 2012

Yasmin is an 18 year old girl in general secondary education, who called our partner rehabilitation centre Sezim for emotional aid through the helpline funded by your donations.

One night Yasmin was on her way home when she was offered a lift by a ‘family friend’. She had met him on several occasions but never actually had any direct dialogue with this ‘family friend’. As she got into the vehicle, she saw that there were two other men present - automatically she felt something stir. Something was wrong.

Accurately defining the term “Roma” is a challenging, almost formidable task. There is no universally accepted definition, and the term is often used interchangeably with “Rroma”, “Gypsy”, “Traveller”, “Romani”, “Sinti”, “Ashkali”, “Manouches”, “Kalé” and other titles. This is problematic for a number of reasons.

Firstly, incorrect usage creates and perpetuates harmful stereotypes in society. For example, the media have frequently used the term “gypsy” instead of “Gypsy” displaying ignorance of their cultural identity as a recognised ethnic group. Additionally, some Roma people object to the use of the term “Gypsy” altogether perceiving it as derogatory and inaccurately linked to “Egyptian” where it was once believed Roma people had originated from.