Swastika

Swastika is 18 years old and from West Nepal. She was stopped for questioning at the Krishnanagar border station by our partners’ Border Counselors. At first, she would not reveal her reasons for traveling, but as they continued to talk and build trust, she slowly started to share her story…

Being the eldest child at home, Swastika always felt the need to support her parents. Her father worked in a tailoring shop, while her mother worked at a hospital as a sweeper. They all lived in a rented house and the money they earned was barely enough to support the children’s education. Her parents managed to secure a loan and bought a piece of land with the hopes they could someday build their own home.

It wasn’t long before the loan collectors started to put pressure on the family to make payments. The family didn’t have enough money to pay back the loan as quickly as they were being asked. Swastika decided she could help, and traveled to Butwal with her friend for a job. Her friend convinced her to become a sex worker through a hotel. She was reluctant, but soon accepted as she didn’t see any other options. Swastika earned money and sent it to her parents to help pay off the loan, but she kept the source of her income a secret. She instead told her parents she was working at a bank.

One day a man called her from India offering her a hundred thousand rupees if she came to India to work. At first she was hesitant, but seeing her parents relieved and knowing they needed more money to pay off their debt, she decided to take the risk. She got into a bus from Butwal and traveled to Krishnanagar, heading to the border exit point which is where her story ended, thank God to the counselors who stopped her. 

She says, “I am fortunate that I was stopped and questioned. I was traveling a road on which I could never return.”

After she felt safe and strong enough receiving counseling and care at emergency shelter, Swastika provided sufficient information about everything that happened to her and the others at the hotel. Our partners informed the police and she registered a complaint against the hotel owner. Police investigated and raided the hotel where she worked. The owner was arrested as 4 other girls were also rescued. After a thorough investigation, the owner was charged with human-trafficking and prosecuted.

Swastika has now cheerfully entered the Safe Home program where she hopes to overcome her bitter past and transform her pain into power.