Maya* (19) comes from a poor Nepali family that relies on farm work and daily wage labor for survival. Living in a merit-based society often disregards the struggles of the poor. Poverty not only poses economic scarcity within families, but it also creates a lot of emotional and mental anguish that those who have not experienced it will not understand.
Desperate to soothe these difficult feelings, Maya turned to her social circles to find a little bit of escape in her daily life. Here, she became acquainted with a young man who showed romantic interest in her. He wooed her by promising marriage and a better life together. To a girl like Maya, this man’s promises seemed like opportunities of a lifetime, so she agreed to leave with him.
But as these stories always go, the man’s actions have proven her that he had no intention of marrying her to begin with. When he attempted to take her across the border under false pretenses to the authorities, Maya felt like her fantasy was shattering. Her and the man’s body language raised suspicion, and was stopped by our staff.
During initial questioning, Maya appeared anxious and could not clearly explain her destination or the identity of the person accompanying her. The man attempted to interfere in the conversation and pressured officials to not meddle and just let them proceed, his conduct further increasing suspicion. Authorities separated the two for further inquiry and referred the man to the police for investigation.
After investigation, Maya’s gut was proven right: this man was not going to marry her, nor did he truly care about her. It was revealed that the man had a pattern of deceiving young women with false promises of marriage and employment. She is brokenhearted, but what happened after broke her heart even more.
As we contacted her family for safe travel back home, her own blood and flesh expressed hesitation about taking her back due to social stigma and fear of judgment among their own community. Even the ills of society did not stop from seeping into the cracks of their supposed loving and supportive home.
Now with nowhere to go, Maya felt lost. Our team then decided that it would be best if she processed her recent trauma at the Women’s Safe Haven and Vocational Center. Here, she will be housed in a safe environment, get counseling, and learn some skills training. She chose to be enrolled in beauty parlor training.
Maya is very grateful for our timely intervention and for the safe home we provided her. Even though the world is ruthless to the poor, she knows there is still good in the world and hope for her future due to our care and intervention.
*Name changed for privacy
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