Meet Diksha*, a fearless woman in her early thirties with a soft heart for the people of her country.

*Name and photo have been changed to respect privacy.

Once Diksha and her team return to the city after a prevention trip, the work is only just beginning. A dedicated team in the Kathmandu office carefully catalogs each scholarship that was given out—including detailed notes from each home visit with every child’s family. Over the next year, the team stays in contact with teachers and community leaders in the villages, ensuring children are attending school and monitoring any new trafficking risks.

Diksha and her prevention team are committed to the safety of vulnerable children. They regularly endure long drives and grueling hikes to facilitate prevention programs in remote villages. To-date, they have reached over 11,500 people across their country through life-saving prevention presentations.

When you’re with Diksha, you can feel how important this work is to her. It’s personal. Today, she leads the prevention team, but not too many years ago, Diksha didn’t believe she had it in her.

“When I joined the prevention team, I didn’t think I could do it. When I was a child I couldn’t study because I needed to work. My home environment was not good. My parents fought and my father was drunk, so I had to escape.” After living on the street with her many sisters, Diksha arrived at our local partner’s safe homes at 14 years old, where she received protection and care.

She continues, “I had a hard time writing and I thought people in the prevention program needed to be an educated person, someone who knows how to use a computer. After a few years I thought, ‘I’m going to quit. I’m stopping here,’ but I was always encouraged by the people around me.” Today, Diksha leads her team of professionals with compassion, bravery and courage—determined to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and abuse.