Rescue agents are relentless in their efforts to bring exploited children into freedom.

The chains of exploitation can be physical, emotional, economic or social to name a few categories. Every day, agents and caseworkers break through these barriers that keep children trapped in these dark places. Each scenario is unique and requires a customised approach by sometimes performing sting operations, funding a girl’s education so she doesn’t have to work in a bar, or outsmarting traffickers with a level of novelty.

For Child Rescue’s case about seventeen-year-old Sonali last month, creativity was the key to unlocking her freedom.

Finding her
Sonali left her home country of Nepal with her uncle in January. She needed a job and he promised her employment as a housekeeper in a neighbouring country.

His intentions proved nefarious and instead, he sold her to a woman in a large brothel area. In a new and foreign place, Sonali was forced to have sex with customers every night and was not allowed to leave. Unable to speak or understand the local language, she was helpless.

When a girl is trafficked across the border of Nepal, our border rescue agents can often intercept her before she disappears into the dark underworld of the sex trade. Although not impossible, rescue after this point is extremely difficult.

In March while scouring the brothels, our agent located Sonali and discovered she spoke only Nepali. Also Nepali, the agent used the language barrier to their advantage and they were able to have a private conversation surrounded by the din of the brothel.

Sonali told our agent about what her uncle had done and expressed her desire to escape.

The two stayed in contact before both planning her rescue. On a specified day, our team planned to wait for her at a nearby health clinic and would facilitate her escape.

Pretending to be sick, Sonali got permission from the brothel owner to visit the doctor. Once she was at the clinic, she asked her escort to excuse her to the bathroom to gain a few precious moments away from supervision. In the restroom, our agent was waiting for her with a change of clothes. Sonali changed into a disguise and was led from the clinic to a waiting car driven by another rescue agent. The three of them drove away and brought her to safety.

Today, Sonali wishes to find safe employment to help support her family back in Nepal. Child Rescue is helping her learn the local language and will also help her find a job.

Her name has been changed to protect her identity.

The last line
Our presence at the Nepal border is expanding quickly but there are still many unwatched crossing points traffickers can use to get girls out of the country. Our efforts in Nepal and Southeast Asia fight this exploitation from multiple angles and will continue to grow as funding allows.

Border agents stand as a last line of defence, rescuing hundreds from the traumas that await them if traffickers are successful. Although it is extremely difficult to find and rescue children once they are outside of Nepal, it does happen and is certainly worth celebrating.

Your support enables the last line of defence, and your donations send rescue into the darkest places to find children and bring them into freedom. Donate today to join the fight against sexual exploitation around the world.