Thank you for your continued support and interest in our work. I would like to share with you one of success stories.
Sheetal (not her real name) is 14 years old and has been living in Pokhara for a number of years with her family. Her parents were labourers and earning a daily wage, but this wasn't enough to feed a family of five. They were also alcoholics, so a lot of their meager wage was spent fueling this habit.
To try and make ends meet Sheetal got a job washing up and cleaning in a local hotel. Whilst here, she started sleeping with the customers in return for money and drugs. One night the police found her on the streets searching for a customer and she was brought to our shelter.
It has been a challenge to keep her in the shelter and she ran away a couple of times, but our social worker always found her and brought her back. However, with continuous support and counselling, Sheetal is beginning to change her behaviour and leave her past life behind. She has now been referred on to a safe home where she is receiving vocational training.
This is just one success story out of many and without your support, this wouldn't have been possible.
Thank you from all the children in Nepal that you are helping.
The Kidasha Team
Thank you for your continued support and interest in our work in Nepal. Over the last year we have achieved so much and none of it would have been possible without you. So, not only have we supported and changed the lives of 137 female victims of sexual abuse & exploitation, we have also achieved the following:
On our CEO's last visit - Janice Miller said the following
During my trip, I also visited our shelter for girl victims of sexual abuse, where having just recently moved to a different building, the staff and girls were still unpacking and setting in. As always when I visit this project, I was overwhelmed with both anger and sadness that many of the girls are less than 10 years old. On a positive note, the girls were excited to be going on an outing later that day, albeit to have their eyes tested at a local eye clinic.
Our work in Nepal is extremely important and with your kind and generous help, we can change the lives of many more vulnerable children.
Many thanks
The Kidasha Team
Our shelter supports the recovery of young female vicitms of violence, abuse and exploitation and it facilitates their reintegration into society.
During 2018, a total of 81 girls used our shelter for protection and rehabilitation. This is a slightly higher number than we had planned but of course no vulnerable girl can be turned away. All the girls were assessed and received basic counselling as part of our case management process and 40 received more intensive longer-term counselling. In addition, all the girls received health assessments and follow-up medical support as required.
Activities provided in the shelter include informal education, social skills, life skills and awareness on sexual & reproductive health, art and dance therapy and self-defence classes.
Whilst some girls used the shelter for a temporary period only (e.g. girls who had been supported in the past returning for some respite when facing troubles) there were 63 new cases. Of these, 26 girls were reintegrated back with their families following comprehensive assessments and family counselling and 23 girls not able to return to their families (often victims of abuse within their families) were referred to long-term residential care. Two girls were supported to live independently, securing employment and given financial help to rent and equip accommodation. 11 girls are in the process of reintegration and still residing in the shelter.
Every effort was made to ensure that girls supported in the shelter had access to education and training opportunities appropriate to their age and circumstances; six girls were supported into vocational training and three benefitted from job facilitation. In addition, 31 girls who had been reintegrated with their families before the start of this year were provided with educational support to ensure their continued participation in school.
Of the 56 girls who were victims of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or trafficking, 15 were able to register legal cases and to seek legal redress. In other instances, either they and/or their families were unwilling to report cases or there was insufficient evidence for the police to register a case or identify the perpetrator.
Out of the 15 legal cases, six have achieved successful outcomes with the perpetrator receiving a custodial sentence, while nine cases are ongoing. In four of these, the perpetrators have absconded and in the remainder the perpetrators are in pre-trial detention. The project also managed to secure birth certificates for four girls who did not have birth registration or proof of age essential to the legal process.
None of this would have been possible without your generous support, but there is still a lot more to do, so it would be fantastic if you could consider donating again to this project.
Thank you
The Kidasha Team
I would like to share with you a story about a girl in our care. It really emphasizes the importance of our work but sadly there is still a lot more to do. Every year 12,000 children are trafficked to India – the majority becoming victims of sexual exploitation.
When I was 12, my mum was forced to go abroad to earn money and left me with my Auntie Laxmi in Pokhara. I had to work in her hotel. The work was very hard and I missed my mum. One evening a man did bad things to me. He hurt me and I was scared and ashamed. I didn’t want it to happen again so I told my Auntie. She told me not worry. But it happened again, and again. I kept telling my Auntie but he didn’t stop. I didn’t know what to do. I was frightened but had nowhere to go. I thought it would never end.
Suddenly, one day a woman [Kidasha outreach worker] and the police came and took me away. I didn’t know where I was going but they took me to a shelter [Kidasha Emergency Shelter] with other girls my age. Everyone was kind to me but I was scared and didn’t want to talk to anyone. They let me play, draw and dance, and eventually, I felt comfortable enough to talk to Sabina [Kidasha counsellor]. She helped me feel safe and talking about what happened made me feel better.
Being able to talk with the other girls I don’t feel so alone. I’ve started taking classes in the shelter and am excited to go back to school soon and be a normal girl.
Kidasha’s team worked with the police to ensure that both the man who sexually abused Ishama and her aunt are now custody awaiting trial.
Without your support none of the above would be possible but please do consider donating again to help us rescue more girls like Ishama.
Thank you.
The Kidasha Team
Kidasha works to improve the wellbeing, development and opportunities of children living in crisis situations in chronic poverty in Nepal. Children who are beyond the reach of existing services and support, including children living in urban slums, street and working children and victims of sexual abuse and exploitation. We have been working in Nepal for 20 years, during which time we have developed unique expertise in supporting the most disadvantaged and marginalised children living in urban poverty.
Our small team in Nepal, works in partnership with local partners to develop and deliver quality projects which have a sustained impact for children and families at grassroots level. We actively engage with local government agencies and the wider community to improve mainstream services, change attitudes and reduce exclusion and discrimination. Our approach differs to that of other NGOs working overseas in that we aim to create lasting change for the most vulnerable children and not simply deliver short term benefits to as many as possible.
Together with our partners, we provide a range of services and support including: temporary shelter and rehabilitation support for street children and girl victims of sexual abuse; drop-in centres and outreach work with working children and their employers to reduce exploitation and abuse, remove younger children from labour situations and improve access to ‘on the job’ and vocational training opportunities; and support for ‘out of school’ children to access formal and informal education, including working with families to encourage parents to support their children’s education.
You have generously supported our shelter for sexual abused girls. Often visuals tell a stronger story than words ever can, I would therefore ask you to watch our short film which clearly documents the need for our unique shelter for sexually abused girls in Pokhara.
A big thank you from the children of Nepal.
Best wishes
The Kidasha Team
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