Narita Rai, 14, from the eastern part of Nepal, had to look after her father and younger siblings after her mother left when she was seven and her father fell ill when she was 12. She decided to move to Kathmandu to live with her uncle and aunt, and got a job in a cabin restaurant, but from the first day she was sexually abused by customers, so she decided to leave.

She then started to work as a daily wage worker in construction, earning 500NRS (4$) per day, but when the country went into lockdown the construction work stopped and she lost her job. Without a job her uncle and aunt saw her as a burden and asked her to leave.

She was not able to stay with friends for more than a few days, as there was no food and she was unable to contribute. By that time some of the work had started again and she went out to search for work during the day and spent the nights in the under-constructed house where she used to work before – an open space, where she spent the whole night in fear, and could go days without eating.

It was during her search for a job that she was put in contact with Chhori, who took her into their program and psychosocial counselling. Chhori helped her reconnect with her uncle and aunt who welcomed her back. Chhori provided a relief package lasting Narita and her uncle’s family for two months, giving them enough time to search for new work.

Narita is planning on learning tailoring through Chhori’s training two hours a day so she can earn money while learning a new skill. She has learned to create boundaries and protect herself from risky and abusive situations through Chhori’s counselling sessions and says:

I would like to thank Chhori for helping me in my critical situation and facilitating my family that allowed me to stay in a safe place. Chhori for me is the new hope of my life to think about myself and my future.