In February 2024, the Kathmandu Justice Hub discovered a harrowing tale upon investigating Sara’s* Facebook post seeking assistance in obtaining a birth certificate for her baby.
Sara’s childhood had been marked by domestic abuse at the hands of her father, a habitual drinker who left her mother to be the sole breadwinner. Desiring to participate in supporting her family, Sara was eventually introduced to the world of online sexual exploitation. Only sixteen years old at the time, Sara saw this as a means of supporting her education and engaged in sexual encounters with customers for payment. When she became pregnant and was expelled from her family home, she relocated and gave birth to her son while continuing to work in the sex trade to support herself.
The Justice Hub team moved Sara and her son to an aftercare home where they received counseling, medical treatment, and support to stabilize their situation while the legal team works to resolve Sara and her son’s legal issues. Due to her trauma, Sara struggles to remember information that would assist the anti-trafficking bureau in tracking down perpetrators involved in crimes against her. However, she is taking important steps to improve her and her son’s future, pursuing training in hotel and restaurant management to improve her prospects for employment.
