by Corinne Yank, GoPhil Communications Manager
Child Rescue Nepal (CRN) is comprised of an incredibly dedicated team working to holistically address the problem of child trafficking through rescues, recovery, rehabilitation, as well as family and community reintegration. CRN also focuses – very importantly – on prevention to break cycles of child exploitation and re-trafficking.
With the support and incredible dedication of their team, CRN accomplished so much in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Below are just a few key highlights:
- 26 boys were rescued from factories, kilns, restaurants and hostels;
- 6 girls were rescued from sexual exploitation;
- 24 children were reunited with their families;
- 8 young people left the care of CRN to become self-sufficient adults;
- 17,139 children remained safe in school through teacher training, midday meals, anti-trafficking workshops and scholarships;
- 16 boys were rescued from metal work factories and brick kilns where they were regularly beaten;
- 6 boys were rescued from restaurants where they worked for no pay;
- 8 new classrooms were built, benefitting 337 students and many more in years to come;
- 6 rescued children passed their Secondary Education Examinations;
- 5 new school toilets were constructed, benefitting 1,519 students;
- 2 rural schools were provided with water, improving the health of 741 children.
The CRN Transit Home is a key piece of the overall puzzle. The home provides immediate, temporary shelter and protection to all of the rescued children listed above. At the home, a coordinated team of child protection professionals help children recover from the trauma they’ve suffered and be children again.
In 2019, children at the center received regular health checkups from a doctor, as well as frequent orientations about good hygiene. The children have also received individualized psychological counseling, participated in regular activities aimed at improving self-esteem and self-confidence, and attended trainings on how to express feelings in a healthy way. Counselors report that the children are showing much more confidence as a result of these activities and can clearly articulate on important topics like self-motivation, hope, courage and friendship.
In the area of community and family reintegration, the CRN team has impressively managed to trace the families of all the children rescued at the start of 2019, which is no easy feat considering that many of the children couldn’t even describe their home village, leaving up to the team to use any clues possible to track down their families. Detailed family assessments have been carried out with the traced families in preparation for reintegration in the coming quarter. Once the children are smoothly and safely reunited with their families, CRN will continue to monitor their wellbeing and offer support to prevent re-trafficking where needed.
For a more in-depth look at CRN’s incredible work, I highly recommend checking out this 20-minute documentary, which captures the bravery, careful planning and complexity behind each and every rescue they carry out.