A fund to rescue children from slavery in Nepal

We recently carried out two separate rescues. Two boys, aged 13 and 15, were found working in a motorbike workshop after almost a year of labour, and not a single rupee of pay. A 14-year-old girl was also rescued from a carpet factory in Kathmandu. All three are now safe.

Their stories are different – one girl slipping through the cracks after a devastating loss, whilst the two boys were simply trying to survive. But all three had ended up somewhere no child should ever be.

Alone since her mother's death
Susan (name changed), 14, is from Udayapur. Her home life was difficult – her parents drank heavily and arguments at home sometimes turned violent. A year ago her mother died and Susan stopped going to school. She spent long stretches alone in her family's rented room, and increasingly turned to social media to fill the time.

It was there she connected with a young man who worked at a carpet factory. Through him, she began spending her days – and eventually her evenings – at the factory. One of our team learned that a young girl had been seen at the factory and raised the alarm. Working with the police, we rescued Susan and brought her to Marigold House, our safe home for girls.

Almost a year without pay
Two boys, aged 13 and 15, were found at a motorbike workshop where they told our team they had been working for almost a year without pay. Both are now safe with us while we work through the process needed to get them home safely.

What's next?
Both boys are Indian nationals. We have traced their families and we're working with the Labour Department and District Police to reintegrate both boys in the coming days. We're also co-ordinating with partner organisations in India so they have support waiting for them once they're back home. One hopes to return to school, having been pushed into work by poverty. The other, 16, wants to train properly as a motorcycle mechanic, so he can go on to earn a proper wage in a reputable workshop.

Susan is now at Marigold House, where she has shelter, food, clothing and medical care, along with regular counselling and dance classes to help her begin to heal. Her father has been contacted and a care plan is being built around her needs and interests as we learn more about what she wants to do next.

We can only do this with your support
None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for being there for children like Susan, and for the two boys now on their way home to India.

A few weeks ago, our team rescued eight boys from child labour in the Godawari area of Lalitpur – one of our most significant rescue operations in recent years.

How it happened

Godawari is a busy commercial hub on the southern edge of Kathmandu. Over recent months, our team carried out five observation visits across two wards, documenting what they found and running community awareness campaigns – pamphlet distribution and local announcements – that had already begun to reduce the number of children working in the area. In March, we submitted a formal report to the Municipality and coordinated with authorities until the rescue could take place.

When our team arrived, they had six boys on their list. They found two more.

We don't ever leave a child behind. All eight are now safe.

Who we found and where

Construction site (one child) A twelve-year-old boy had been working on a local construction site – heavy physical labour no child should face.

Fish shop (one child) A boy of thirteen had been working in a fish shop, far from his family and his schooling.

Motorcycle workshop (one child) Another teenager had been working in a workshop, exposed to the hazards of tools and machinery.

Botanical gardens (two children) Two boys had been keeping horses at the botanical gardens for over two years – outdoor work that kept them far from any classroom.

Sculpture workshop (two children) Two boys were found at a sculpture workshop – not on our original list, but rescued all the same.

Where they are now

All eight boys – the youngest just twelve years old – are now at our transit home, receiving medical care, counselling, clean clothes, hygiene supplies and proper meals. They come from across Nepal; two are from India. On their first evening, they watched a Bollywood comedy together.

Our team is working to make contact with their families and to assess the safest next steps for each child individually. For those whose families can provide a safe environment, reunification plans are being developed. For those who cannot safely return home, we will provide longer-term care and support.

Your impact

This rescue happened because of your generous support. These boys were working in workshops, on construction sites and in hospitality when they should have been in classrooms. They are now safe, fed and cared for – and they have a chance at childhood, at education, at futures free from exploitation.

Thank you for making this possible. Your support doesn't just fund rescues – it saves and transforms lives.