Pro Filia saves Nepalese girls from trafficking

Girls in poorer areas of Nepal are often seen as second-class citizens and therefore frequently end up victims of trafficking. Their parents or husbands sell them off as ‘hard-working women’, but they end up being exploited in brothels. Most of these girls are between the ages of 12 and 16.

At the initiative of SI Münster-Mauritz and with the help of its Friendship Link SI Rhenen/Veenendaal and the Dutch club’s Friendship Link SI Douglas/Isle of Man funds have been raised to support Pro filia e.V. in its efforts to remedy this problem. For example, it pays the salaries of 20 women border guards who themselves were rescued from this fate to intercept the young girls directly at the border. The guards receive special training and use their own experience to identify girls who appear to be in danger. Each border guard saves some 50 girls every year and ensures they are sent to protected shelters.

Pro filia itself also finances a shelter where rescued girls can recuperate both physically and psychologically. Here they are taught to read and write and trained to be agriculturists, cooks or dressmakers. Pro filia also pays for the girls to have computer courses to learn practical skills for office work.