Roshani

Roshani was the eldest of several siblings abandoned by her parents and left to be raised instead by her grandparents. Her grandmother relied heavily on her to complete household chores which meant she could not attend school. As she was regularly home all day, Roshani’s grandfather would frequently abuse her. Becoming so distraught, Roshani developed a plan to run away and find employment in India.

Arriving at the border, Roshani was stopped and counseled by a Border Counselor. She learned about the dangers of human trafficking. She was invited to stay at the Safe Home and learn skills with other girls who had suffered in life as she had.

As Roshani transitioned from the Safe Home to the Training Center, she chose the cosmetology track, but this time not for women’s hair. She wanted to be one of the only women in her community to cut men’s hair despite the patriarchal culture. While Roshani was intimidated about blazing a trail in the industry as a female, she remembered her past and how far she had come. She decided to move forward with the training.

After graduating from her training program, Roshani struggled for two years to make her salon successful. Men were apprehensive about allowing her to cut their hair, but Roshani refused to quit. She persevered and became the first woman in her community to successfully own and operate a hair salon for men.

Roshani now encourages her fellow sisters to follow in her footsteps. She has offered internship opportunities to several daughters studying cosmetology at the Training Center, and she employs two that have graduated. She is currently working on an expansion and plans to hire four more daughters upon its completion. Because of her courage and determination in breaking down barriers in Nepal many other daughters have a future filled with hope and financial security.

“People used to doubt me and say, “How can a woman do this?” I did not let them pull me down, I had confidence in myself.”