Sunita* is an 11-year-old girl we recently rescued in the first quarter of 2026 through the Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Program efforts in Nepal.
At such a tender age, Sunita had already gone through a lot of hardship and trauma. When she was very young, her mother ended her own life. Her father remarried, and since then, she had been living with her stepmother.
A child who has lost her mother is in greater need of maternal care and affection. As she sought this from her stepmother, she received the opposite: neglect and mistreatment. Almost every day, she was made “useful” by this stepmother by letting her collect and sell firewood. When she did so, she was given two meals a day. If she failed to bring money home, she was subjected to physical and verbal abuse.
Even at a young age, Sunita already knew how to advocate for herself. She left home and went to live with her aunt, her father’s sister. Even though living conditions were not better there, she at least escaped from the daily violence that was inflicted upon her.
Often, children who suffer from abuse learn how to “grow up” faster because they are forced to learn how to survive. So one day, Sunita heard that girls from nearby villages were working in hotels to wash dishes to survive. Believing this might be her way to meet basic needs, she decided to go to another town without informing her aunt.
As she planned to begin her journey, our implementing partner, 3 Angels Nepal, noticed Sunita alone. When asked where she was headed, she said she was travelling for work. Further questioning allowed her to reveal even more about her motivations, and it broke our hearts. She is at very high risk of child labor, exploitation, and ultimately, human trafficking.
The team immediately contacted her aunt. As we waited, Sunita underwent assessment and counseling. Her family was eventually informed about child protection laws, trafficking risks, and safety measures. We also arranged to work with local partners to send Sunita back to school and pursue a safer and more hopeful future. A girl like her should learn in school, not seek a dishwashing job someplace else, and it is truly heartbreaking how she thought that was her only choice.
Right now, Sunita is reunited with her family while we keep a close eye on her home life. She also has protection and education plans in place to ensure that she does not run away again.
*Name changed for privacy
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