Jati Provides Freedom through Education

Jati Tamang has been part of the ODI Team for the 13 years. She started her journey with us as a border counselor in 2009, and is currently serving as the Education Coordinator for our NoChild Scholarship Program.

Jati comes from a small village called Kanchanpur, and while she is not a rescued daughter herself, she has always been passionate about advocacy for women’s rights. Jati recalls her first border rescue that affirmed her calling and strengthened her determination to protect vulnerable girls and women.

“I had just joined the team in Mahendranagar as a border counselor and during an early morning shift, I noticed a young woman trying to cross the border. I stopped the bus she had boarded and began questioning her and found out that she had no idea where she was headed. She didn’t have any money, and she barely knew how to read and write. After spending hours questioning and counseling her, I found out that she was getting trafficked into India and eventually overseas by someone she had met online who had promised her secure employment. We were able to rescue her and send her to the Safe Home. After hearing her story, I began to wonder why her family never sent her to school or focused on her education?”

Many women in rural parts of Nepal do not have access to basic education because of family and societal restrictions. Most daughters are married young or sent away from home so an investment in her education is considered futile leaving her vulnerable to human trafficking. Jati's first-hand encounter fueled a new passion within her and she made a long-term commitment to work towards the advocacy of education for girls in Nepal. For the past six years, Jati has been leading the NoChild education sponsorship program. There are currently 164 daughters who are receiving a full scholarship in various parts of the country. Jati and her team coordinate between the schools, visiting the daughters in their communities, and the NoChild program coordinators to track the progress of daughters receiving scholarships. They also raise awareness about human trafficking and the importance of education when they travel to the various communities.

“Seeing our daughters graduate from the program and join university has been the biggest joy and highlight of my career. We have daughters now pursuing law, microbiology, business, finance and nursing. I am so blessed to be able to be a part of this journey with them!”