Durga

Born into a poor family in western Nepal, Durga was abandoned by her parents after birth. She grew up with her maternal grandmother who cared for and loved her. Still, life in Nepal was hard and as she grew, she dreamed of living somewhere better.

When Durga turned 15, she fell in with a crowd that told her about life in India. They promised her she would have the things she wanted there so they developed a plan to escape.

Upon reaching an Indian city called Butwal, Durga was secretly drugged. She was then sold to a brothel in India where she spent the next seven excruciating years. Her captors forced her to take drugs and she recalls being asked to serve 20-25 men per day. If she refused, they would withhold the drugs she had become addicted to.

One day, on the way to a hotel, Durga gathered the courage to run away. She was rescued by our partner’s team in India. After spending months in the Safe Home where Durga received rehabilitation for her drug addiction and trauma counseling, Durga found her passion.

"I know that I want to give my life to helping my fellow sisters escape the horror of human trafficking. I never want anyone else to experience what I experienced."

Durga excelled as a student in the Social Leadership Development Training Program and, after graduation, joined our team at the Birgunj border station as a border counselor. She has worked there for four years and personally rescued over 100 victims of trafficking. Durga is now married and has a beautiful daughter. She continues to stay committed to her passion and is determined that sharing her story of redemption will give hope to hundreds of more daughters like her.