Nepal

Photo: Orphans once trapped in extreme poverty and child labor are now free and thriving in their new environment.

Thanks to profits from our native-led farmland enterprise, along with donations from our generous donors, we were able to expand the Nepal orphanage to include a new Boys Home to better serve the girls and boys who are growing to need their own space. The new home, which houses 9 boys ages 9-14, includes two bedrooms with 3 bunk beds in each room, a changing room with a bathroom, and a study room. The boys moved into their new home in June and have been very happy there during study time and bedtime.

Photo: Girls rescued from human trafficking are learning valuable skills which will allow them to stand on their own as they’re restored to a life full of hope.

We are happy to share a miraculous report from our efforts to fight human trafficking in Nepal. This week a 16-year-old orphan who had been living with her uncle had gone missing. Someone in her native village contacted our local team, knowing they work on the border looking for trafficked girls. They provided her photo, and our team kept an eye out for her at our border kiosk from which we look for suspicious activity and distribute trafficking awareness pamphlets.

Photo: Girls rescued from human trafficking, now safe at our rehabilitation home receiving training in embroidery and other skills as part of their path toward recovery and empowerment.

We are thankful to share that last week, two 16-year-old girls were rescued from the dangers of human trafficking. The trafficker took the girls from their village in the Nuwakot district and kept them in a lodge in Kathmandu, where they were forced into prostitution against their will.

Photo: A girl rescued from extreme poverty is happy to show us her new uniform and backpack. She’s ready for school!

We’re happy to report that children of the Thapathali slum colony in Kathmandu, Nepal, recently received new backpacks, uniforms, and education scholarships, which have enabled them to attend local schools in the city. Focusing our efforts on getting them into school is a key component in breaking the cycle of extreme poverty, and gives them great hope and an opportunity to change their lives. Our education program, now in its second year, is growing and these achievements are a significant step in the process.

Photo: One of the many schools our staff have visited to inform girls on the dangers of human trafficking and how to protect themselves.

Each year over 12,000 Nepalese girls as young as age 7 are trafficked across the Nepal-India border, mostly into Indian brothels. Many are from families who were tricked into believing there was an attractive job awaiting them in the big city. Others are lured to run away by young men who promise the girls various material possessions, leading them to believe they’re in love with them and want to take them home to India. Our teams are training girls how to spot such tactics and what to do when they suspect traffickers are visiting their towns and villages.

Photo: Girls rescued from child labor and malnourishment are now safe and thriving at our orphanage home in Kathmandu.

This year in Nepal, thanks to your support, we’ve been able to rescue 3 more orphans from child labor, bringing our enrollment up to 23 children. Orphan children in Nepal are some of the most at-risk children on the planet, with the human trafficking crisis striking deep into the heart of this nation that is considered the poorest in all of Asia. Over 30% of Nepalese live on less than $12 per month.

Photo: Orphans rescued from child labor and extreme poverty, now happy and enjoying daily fresh-cooked meals made from organic ingredients grown on our own farmland.

In Nepal our native team is equipped with a farmland consisting of a goat house and terraced fields where they grow various vegetables, potatoes and herbs. The most recent crop they’ve experimented with is corn. Their recent 1000 lb. (450 kg) harvest of corn will not only feed the children but also the goats at the goat house, further improving the profitability of the operation. The farmland yields a consistent delivery of fresh, organic vegetables and herbs used in the cooking at our orphanage and human trafficking rehabilitation home.

Photo: Human trafficking survivors at our rehabilitation home have learned how to make clothes for our orphans! The shirt she’s wearing is one of the items they’ve learned to make.

Creating a cycle of hope. The young women of our human trafficking rehabilitation home, mostly teenage girls, are being equipped with many skills, one of which is seamstress work. It occurred to our Nepal director one day as he was preparing to buy new clothes for the orphans that the girls should spend some of their class time trying to make the clothes.

Photo: With your support, we’re helping children of this slum colony overcome extreme poverty in a way that’s sustainable and empowering.

In a slum settlement positioned on a flood-prone riverbank in Kathmandu, Nepal, there is now great hope for 45 children. These children would never have had such hope before. It’s the hope of a better life—of a life with much less risk of human trafficking or child labor. Our program, modeled after our "Children’s Hope Center" in Hyderabad, India, is offering children of this colony nutritional support and the supplies and fees they need to enroll in local schools.

Photo: Rescued from human trafficking, she’s now safe at our rehabilitation home where she’s learning how to make clothes and crafts to gain financial independence.

Thanks to recent donations along with profits from our native-led farmland enterprise in Nepal, we were able to double the amount of sewing machines in our seamstress classroom up to 12. We were also able to finally outfit the crafts and knitting classroom with desks and benches. These major improvements will greatly aid in the learning process as the girls work through the courses.