Tashi* lost his mother at a very young age. Though unable to recall much about her, he misses the love, care, and protection he enjoyed when she was alive. Tashi’s life wasn’t quite the same after she died. Tashi was taken to his uncle’s house by his father, who wasted all his earnings on alcohol leaving no money for Tashi’s upbringing. Tashi’s uncle also did not care for Tashi and refused to treat him as family. Tashi was denied an education and forced to do household chores, physically abused for even the smallest of mistakes, and rarely given food to eat, leaving him physically and emotionally malnourished.
Having no monetary use for Tashi, his uncle sent him to work in a hotel in Birgunj in exchange for money. Scared, alone, and far from home, the 11-year-old struggled. Every day was a challenge – carrying full buckets of water to wash dishes at the restaurant and then cleaning the owner’s clothes until late in the evening. Most evenings, Tashi watched the neighborhood children run out of their homes to play together in the street. He longed to be among those children but was restricted to the hotel kitchen.
Each passing day, the desire to be free grew. Tashi spent many hours planning his escape and one day, he did. Unfortunately he did not get far as he was caught by the owner and severely punished – he still bears marks on his body. Tashi was pierced with a burning iron rod, scarring him physically but more so mentally. It was a punishment so brutal that for the next three years Tashi never thought of escaping again. He was forced to return to an exploitative routine where verbal and physical abuse were a common occurrence. With no hope of ever going back home or living a free life, Tashi experienced a mental breakdown and as a result resorted to substance abuse. However, locals witnessed the abuse Tashi faced daily and reported the incident to a Justice Ventures International (JVI) partner that works with vulnerable children.
Through its partnership model, JVI trains and empowers like-minded organizations on various aspects of human trafficking. Through training and awareness sessions, grass-root level NGOs, such as this one, are shown how to identify and intervene in cases of child/sex trafficking and bonded labor. Due to these trainings, staff from this partner NGO were able to coordinate with local authorities and rescue Tashi from the hotel.
This JVI partner immediately acted on the tip and with local authorities rushed to the hotel where Tashi was being exploited. When found, Tashi was intoxicated and in need of medical attention. Noticing that he had a high fever and rashes all over his body, the team immediately took Tashi to a hospital. While he was treated for physical injuries, including the wounds to his leg, Tashi also underwent psychological treatment and rehabilitation.
Once Tashi received medical attention, the partner NGO reached out to JVI for legal expertise. After reviewing the case, a team of JVI sponsored lawyers will now represent Tashi in court and ensure that the hotel owner is charged with criminal proceedings. Tashi has already given a strong statement which JVI lawyers will use to file for the payment of back wages due for Tashi’s three years of work at the hotel.
Since October 2021, Tashi has been living in a shelter home where he has access to education, food, and care. Tashi is thriving in the company of other children and is showing great signs of recovery now that his need for care and affection is being met through this rehabilitation process. In addition to showing a keen interest in studies, Tashi spends a lot of time playing and interacting with others, something he could only dream of just a few months ago. Over the next few months, JVI and its partner will create a rehabilitation plan for Tashi that will focus on his education and social skills, allowing him to be the best he can be.
Instead of fear and uncertainty, Tashi now can look forward to a future of hope and freedom. But for now, he looks forward to evening playtime with his friends at the shelter home and living life one day at a time.
*name changed to protect confidentiality
