Serve Nepal

We were able to spend some time with Serve Nepal. As many of you know, there are more slaves in the world today than ever in the history of the world.

Statistics vary on the number of Nepalese women who fall prey to traffickers, but social workers in the country estimate that about 200,000 girls and women are working in Indian brothels, with up to 7,000 more arriving every year (Rachel Williams, www.guardian.com.uk)

The red dots represent the high-risk areas in Nepal for human trafficking

Below is the main outline of how Serve Nepal functions. 

Prevention

Young girls are sold or lured into the sex trade mainly due to economic hardship. Serve Nepal structures their prevention efforts to target young women at high risk of being trafficked. Prevention occurs through awareness raising campaigns, informal education classes and skill development.

Intervention

Where prevention did not occur, young girls are rescued through border monitoring efforts or directly from brothels by the police or other justice organizations.

***Sadly, the day we met with them we were informed that it was the last day of the Prevention and Intervention programs. They have had to shut them down due to a lack of financial resources.***

Emergency Shelter

The emergency shelter provides a safe place for staff to evaluate the situation of young women. At times, repatriation with the women’s families occurs. At other times, young women move into the Rest & Recovery House.

Phase I- Rest & Recovery House

Participants of this program are provided with short and long term care in a loving home environment.

They receive support, counseling and medical attention.

This program phase can last between one to two years.

Phase I- ASK Learning Center

Once secure in the Rest & Recovery House, participants join the ASK Learning Center right away and are equipped with life skills and learn to deal with their recovery issues.

Participants spend half of each day in the ASK Learning Center and the remaining half of the day learning job skills through the handicraft training business (or are referred to outside training centers such as hairdressing school, etc).

Phase II- Long-Term Housing & Job Training

This facility provides from semi-independent living within a housing and factory complex. While in this program phase, participants gain work experience through further development of their handicraft-making skills, through retail management in the store-front or cooking skills through the community kitchen.

In addition, courses are provided in computer literacy and basic English. On-site babysitting services are also provided for participants with children.

The average length of stay in this program period is one to three years.

At the end of this period participants will move into the community at large while continuing to work within one of Serve Nepal’s business initiatives or they will be set up to run their own micro-business initiative.

Phase III- Followcare

In this program phase participants are encouraged to move out on their own (either through marriage or other arrangements) while continuing to receive support from the organization. They are still able to work within Serve Nepal’s business initiatives, but are encouraged to branch out on their own, perhaps receiving a scholarship to return to school or a micro-loan to start up their own business venture.

Serve Nepal operates under the SA Foundation. We were not able to take any pictures with the women, as their identities must be protected. 

One of the main handicrafts that women apart of Serve Nepal get involved in is jewelry making. If you are interested in helping support them along with other programs/ministries in Nepal by purchasing some jewelry you can contact Jordan or I. Here are some links to some of their work: 

Earrings

Necklaces

Bracelets

If we don't have something you see, we can order it for you. We also have other items that are not on their blog. I will post some pictures of the items that we do have soon!