Standing with Nepal’s survivors of trafficking in persons

The pandemic has further compounded the risks faced by Nepal’s marginalised communities, making them more vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking.

Even as a young girl, Sita’s work began at dawn. Everyone in the family needed to earn money so they could eat. There was no time for school; and in any case, there were not enough rupees to spare for uniforms or books. Although Sita’s whole family worked, there was not enough money, and Sita’s mother took a loan to feed her family. With no way to repay it, Sita’s parents sent her to work abroad, where she might earn enough money to pay off the family’s debts. Against her wishes, Sita travelled on forged papers across the border to India, and then on to the Gulf.