Sonnagachi is the largest, most infamous sex district in Calcutta. Every day 20,000 men seek out the services of the 6,000 women who work there. Many of these women were stolen from their homes, some were tricked, others sold into prostitution by friends and family. In the class system of India, they languish at the bottom of the heap. Most of the women in this district can neither read nor write. Some earn only the money their madams give them and as they often can’t count, are frequently swindled at the markets as if they were visiting tourists. In 1999 Kerry and Annie Hilton decided to leave their idyllic lifestyle in Albany, New Zealand and move to India to help the poor. When they unwittingly moved their family into Sonnagachi, the poor they found themselves helping were prostitutes. Realising that to make a real difference charity just wouldn’t cut it, the Hiltons set about creating a viable business, teaching the women to read and write as well as training them to become skilled workers and business women. After much product research and market testing, Kerry decided that manufacturing jute bags for export would be a realistic proposition. They called the business Freeset and signed up their first business partners: 20 older women from the district who were – albeit reluctantly – willing to give foreigners with good intentions another go. Evie Ashton traveled to Calcutta to meet the Hilton family, their four gorgeous kids, and the indomitable women the Hiltons call family.

Forms: Documentary, Short, Television
Genres: Human Rights, Reality, Culture
Niches: Asian, Christian, Third World, Women