Buna was not expected to live when Shanta first met with her in a hospital in Nepal. Unable to escape the abuse she suffered at home, Buna was left with no alternative but to set out on her own in search of a better life.

As a young woman, she opened a small tea shop where she sold the popular Nepalese tea for pennies a glass. One of Buna’s customers who frequented the shop began taking an interest in her and he seemed eager to help her move forward toward a brighter future.

The fight against human trafficking is overwhelming when we look at the numbers. I am here to say to you,  Yes, we are making a difference, and ripples that seem so small at first, when added together, forge tidal waves of hope. Here is one such story. Didi was on her way to being trafficked into India across the border from Nepal, when she was spotted by PRC workers leaving Nepal with a man. Once interviewed, she was offered the opportunity to go back to the shelter or continue on to India with the man she accompanied. She chose to go back to the shelter.