3 Shocking facts
Approx 12,000 women and children are trafficked to the Middle East and India every year, mainly for exploitation in brothels or as forced labor. International Labor Organization
Over 7% of the females in Nepal report having been raped. The Record.
Because of prolonged abuse, survivors often suffer from physical and emotional trauma such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety and HIV infection.
ASHA NEPAL is a small organisation in Kathmandu devoted to preventing the trafficking and abuse of girls and caring for survivors, with the aim of their safe reintegration into the community.
With your help, we care for girls rescued from sex-trafficking, forced labour and abuse. We provide trauma counselling, health care, educational support, and emergency and long-term residential care.
What we do...
FAMILY BASED CARE
We aim for safe reintegration back into the community, however sometimes this is not possible or unsafe. So some girls are cared for long-term in our Family Homes until they are of an age and ability to be self-sufficient.
EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
Education is provided for all of the girls in our care and, where needed, for those reintegrated back home. We also support other children in the community, who would have no access to education and be at high-risk of trafficking.
OUR COMMUNITY CENTRE
Our Community Centre provides a place for our Asha family to meet, with a meeting room, counselling room, play room, nurse's room, computer room and a small library. We have after-school supervision and tutoring, workshops and mothers' training workshops.
KEEPING FAMILIES SAFE IN THE COMMUNITY
This Project cares for girls/teenagers affected by or at risk of trafficking and/or sexual abuse. We try to find ways of preserving the family unit where possible, rather than placing the girl into residential care where she may lose contact with her community.
We all need a helping hand sometimes....
The poor in Nepal can be so poor and destitute that they live hand to mouth. Mothers may not be emotionally and financially stable, living day-to-day and dealing with their own desperate life issues. They are often unable to care properly for their children and cannot afford to support their children through education. There is no social welfare system in Nepal.
So girls as young as 6 are sent out to work to supplement the family income. Often these girls are physically or sexually abused by their employer and dare not say anything for fear of shame. Many dream of a better life and are easily tricked when offered a "good job" far away, however many find themselves trafficked in brothels or in forced labour in factories, with no escape.
BRINGING LASTING CHANGE
Our core aim is to bring about lasting change in whole families, as well as for the girl survivors. We want to see these girls' impoverished mothers become independent through employment training and meaningful employment. We want them to be able to provide safe housing for themselves and their children, so they are all not at risk of abuse and trafficking.
We want every mother to be able to support her own children. We want the whole family to be strong and to live safely and independently. We want these desperate people to have lasting change and to have the chance to live a better life.
Meet Smriti Khadka, Our Program Director
You can make a difference...
Run, bake, tweet, give, speak out, even sky dive – how will you be part of the generation to end modern slavery and abuse?
"BEST INVESTMENT I'LL EVER MAKE"
"It has been a pleasure getting to know the Asha team. They have such a frugal and hard working spirit. Their mantra is...."Whatever is in the best interest of the girls." After seeing the amazing and heart breaking work they do first hand, I am confident that my hard-earned money is being used wisely. This has been the best investment I'll ever make. If you can give, Asha will use your money well."