Sunischit Bhawisya – Securing Better Future

Trafficking of Children and Young People in Nepal

Human trafficking remains one of the most serious challenges facing Nepal. It involves the exploitation of women and children by forcing them into the sex industry, domestic and factory labor, organ transplantation, illegal adoption and institutionalization.

Although primarily a source country, Nepal experiences significant cross-border trafficking of young women and children to India, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Gulf countries. Internal trafficking from rural to urban areas is also increasing, with children exploited in prostitution and for-profit orphanages. These institutions frequently have alarming records of abuse, making orphanage trafficking a major child protection concern.

Nearly 11,000 children reside in registered Nepali orphanages, despite 80% having at least one living parent, and only one-third meet minimum care standards. Alarmingly, 75% are located in tourist districts, where police occasionally arrest Western tourists or volunteers for child sexual abuse, including trafficking. Unregistered orphanages likely house many additional vulnerable children.

Child labor is widespread in Nepal, adversely affecting education, development, and health. A 2018 survey estimated that approximately 1.1 million children are engaged in labor, including the worst forms such as sexual exploitation, forced begging, and hazardous work.

For further information, see the U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report [link].

Our Action
Sano Paila has been actively protecting children’s rights since 2012. In 2013, it collaborated with the Government of Nepal and multiple stakeholders to launch Sunischit Bhawisya; Securing Better Future (formerly known as the Thulo Paila Program). This initiative aims to prevent and stop violence against children and to protect them from exploitation, enslavement and abuse, including both internal and cross-border trafficking to India, as well as child labor.

Sano Paila has played a key role in exposing the ‘fake orphanage’ business and its links to child trafficking in national and international media. The organization also collaborates closely with Nepali government authorities to support the investigation and prosecution of such cases.

Upon rescue, Sano Paila provides immediate protection, care and rehabilitation to survivors, facilitating their return to families and communities whenever possible. When reunification is not feasible, arrangements are made for long-term care and education at Sano Paila’s child welfare facilities, Sano Ghar (meaning “Small Homes” in Nepali).

The Sunischit Bhawisya program operates through the following components:

• Nepal Rescue Agency (NRA): As a cornerstone of the program, the NRA leads research, intelligence gathering and the identification of victims, their families and the network of traffickers, while assisting the government with rescue operations.
• Reintegration and Economic Empowerment of Vulnerable Families: This three-phased intervention ensures the successful and sustainable reintegration of rescued survivors.
• Sano Ghar Child Welfare Facility: This community-based model in Birgunj and Janakpurdham, Madhesh Province, provides care and protection for orphaned children and those who cannot be reintegrated, ensuring alternative community-based care.

Impact
Through the Sunischit Bhawisya – Securing Better Future program, over 422 children have been rescued, reintegrated and provided care after experiencing exploitation and abuse, including enslavement and trafficking. These efforts ensure their safety, well-being and access to a brighter future.

Sano Paila’s commitment extends beyond rescue, focusing on long-term care, reintegration and empowerment at its child-welfare facilities, Sano Ghar. Currently, 26 children reside at Sano Ghar. Furthermore, Sano Paila has directly engaged, informed and empowered over 3,200 children regarding their rights.

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1. Nepal Rescue Agency (NRA)
As a cornerstone of the Sunischit Bhawisya program, the NRA leads the critical processes of research, intelligence gathering and the identification of victims, their families and the network of traffickers or perpetrators while also assisting the government with rescue operations. This work is further enhanced by dedicated research and information-gathering efforts conducted in both Nepal and India, specifically targeting regions where victims are suspected to be held and exploited.

Sano Paila has formed a strong alliance with Chora Chori Nepal, a leading non-profit organization recognized for its work in the rescue and safe repatriation of children from abusive and exploitative environments, thereby strengthening the overall rescue and support network.

To ensure effective intervention, the NRA has established an efficient coordination system that connects communities in source areas, often remote villages with high prevalence of trafficking, to destination points and major cities across Nepal and India. This network facilitates the swift and safe rescue and comprehensive rehabilitation of child and youth trafficking victims. Recognizing the importance of collaboration, the NRA works closely with government authorities, providing essential support to help the government fulfill its rescue and anti-trafficking mandates.

Sano Paila has demonstrated to the Government of Nepal its capacity to plan, develop and implement rescue operations including post-rescue care for children. From 2013 to March 2015, in collaboration with government authorities, a total of 137 children were rescued from exploitative circumstances and abusive orphanages in Nepal and India, one of the first rescues of this kind. A Child Receiving Home (CRH) was established in collaboration with the Central Child Welfare Board to provide transitional protection, care and welfare for rescued children before reintegration. Consequently, 131 children were successfully reintegrated with their families and communities.

Sano Paila exposed the orphanage business and its links to child trafficking in Nepal through national and international media, strengthening coordination with relevant authorities for investigation and prosecution. This brought the issues of orphanage exploitation and unethical volunteerism to the attention of both national and international communities.

2. Reintegration and Economic Empowerment of Vulnerable Families
The Sunischit Bhawisya reintegration model is based on the principle that effectively reintegrating children into their families and communities significantly reduces the likelihood of re-trafficking and new cases of child exploitation. This model provides essential aftercare while addressing the underlying causes of child trafficking in Nepal.

The reintegration and empowerment program follows a three-phase intervention to ensure the successful and sustainable reintegration of trafficked children. It is built upon a foundation of protection, education, socio-economic support and legal assistance. Rescued children receive transitional care including medical assessments, ongoing treatments, psychosocial counseling, play therapy, nutritional support and temporary education and housing until they can safely return to their families or communities.

The reintegration process also strengthens the role of local government agencies in monitoring and preventing child trafficking. Moreover, the program addresses broader economic factors that lead families to place children in institutional care by linking them to income-generating activities. This approach impacts both the micro-level, addressing individual family challenges, and the macro-level, working to reduce further trafficking and displacement from villages to cities.

Sano Paila has successfully rescued, reintegrated and provided care to over 422 children who have experienced exploitation, abuse, enslavement or trafficking.

3. Sano Ghar Child Welfare Facility
A Circle of Hope: Building Safe Havens for Nepal’s Vulnerable Children

At Sano Paila, we believe every at-risk child in Nepal deserves a safe and nurturing environment. With a track record of successful rehabilitation and reintegration, we provide more than aid, we build families.

For children who cannot be reintegrated, Sano Paila offers a family- and community-based alternative care model through its Sano Ghar Child Welfare Facilities in Birgunj and Janakpurdham, Madhesh Province. Sano Ghar, meaning “Small Homes” in Nepali, represents the principle of deinstitutionalizing orphanages. These are vibrant, community-based homes providing a powerful alternative to traditional institutions. Currently, 26 children reside across the two Sano Ghar homes.

Sano Paila continuously refines its model of child protection and alternative care. Each child receives individualized attention including trauma counseling, support for autism and cerebral palsy and access to essential medical care, including surgeries when needed.

The primary goal is to ensure every child experiences the care of a loving home, has their basic needs met and receives education. Children remain under care until they achieve independence, with support extending to tertiary scholarships for vocational training, college or university.

Our approach places children in safe homes with carefully selected community caregivers. At Sano Ghar, the caregiver-to-child ratio reflects our commitment to personalized attention and protection. This pioneering model in Nepal demonstrates Sano Paila’s dedication to deinstitutionalization and long-term child welfare.

Working hand-in-hand with the community, Sano Paila ensures that every child receives the support needed to flourish, grow into self-reliant adults and become active contributing members of society.

Read the Impact of Sano Ghar
From Small Homes, Mighty Wings: The Blooming of Sano Ghar Children

Be a Builder of Hope for a Child
Your support fuels the boundless potential of every child who comes to our Sano Ghar (Small Homes). This vital work is made possible by compassionate individuals like you who join us in creating circles of hope—one small home and one precious child at a time.

Get to know the children of Sano Ghar and see the impact of your support.

Choose to Gift: Invest in a Childhood, Not an Institution
Your generous gift directly supports and expands our family and community-based alternative child care models across Nepal, offering vulnerable children the warmth and stability of a loving home far from the walls of impersonal institutions. Give the gift of family today.

From Small Homes, Mighty Wings: The Blooming of Sano Ghar Children

Though the doors of Sano Ghar have gently closed behind six young individuals, their hearts remain tethered to the small home that nurtured their dreams. Holidays and breaks become cherished reunions with laughter echoing through familiar rooms, a testament to bonds that time and distance cannot sever.

Apsara Simkhada, our eldest, once a shy child seeking refuge, now brings confidence to faces in a leading Birgunj salon. Her journey marked by the delicate strokes of facials and makeup brushes blossomed into a beautiful marriage and the joyous giggles of her three-year-old daughter. In a heartwarming circle of life, Apsara's wisdom and strength have earned her a place on Sano Paila's Governing Board in 2024, a daughter returning to guide the home that shaped her. She is also a member of the Child Protection Committee of the Sunischit Bhawisya program.

Santosh, whose spirit always hums with an inner melody, found his stage in the vibrant city of Kathmandu. There at Kathmandu University, he pursues a Bachelor's degree in Music, with his Sano Ghar roots providing the steady rhythm for his soaring aspirations.

Alexi, fondly known as Asal, carried his quiet determination to Kathmandu's bustling high schools. Now with that chapter closed, he stands at the cusp of his undergraduate journey, his mind open to new horizons. His passion extends beyond academics with the thrill of the football field leading him to establish a youth club, a space where his talent and leadership inspire others to pursue their goals.

Shanti, with her gentle nature now channeling into a powerful ambition, immerses herself in the field of Public Health in Kathmandu. Her dream to become a skilled expert is intertwined with a deep desire to give back to the Sano Paila family that once sheltered her.

These are not merely stories of children moving on; they are echoes of the love, support and unwavering belief that Sano Ghar invested in young lives. They are living proof that even the smallest homes can cultivate the strongest roots, enabling dreams to take flight and touch the world.

Choose to Gift: Be the Wind Beneath Their Wings
Support Sano Ghar and watch a child's potential bloom into reality through your gift.

These Are the Faces of Hope: Meet the Heartbeat of Sano Ghar
Every child deserves a safe home, a loving family and the opportunity to dream without limits. At Sano Ghar, 26 precious children are finding just that. From playful giggles to quiet moments of reflection, their lives testify to the power of compassionate care. Resilience shines in their eyes and a quiet strength defines their spirit. Each child who calls Sano Ghar home carries a unique story. These children have faced challenges no child should endure. Within our loving community, they are finding stability, care and the chance to simply be children again.

Explore their individual stories, step into their world and discover the profound impact your support can have on their lives, offering them a pathway toward healing and a future filled with possibilities.

Choose Family. Choose Hope. Choose to Gift
Your gift today is more than a donation; it is an investment in a child's future, a step away from institutions and toward the loving embrace of family and community-based care. Be the reason a child's life blossoms.

Individual Profiles of Children