 organization to sponsor their Hope Home in Kathmandu for underprivileged orphaned girls at risk of human trafficking and other abuses. We will be fundraising to cover meals, education, clothing, medical costs, and a recreational program. The home offers the love, care and safety of a family environment so the girls reach their potential.

The Small World organization supports locally driven sustainable community development projects. Their mission is to educate, inspire and empower people to change the world. This fits with Mite’s values of sustainability and empowerment, so we wanted to partner on providing a home filled with hope, love and care for at-risk young girls.

At the home, 30 abandoned and orphaned young girls who are at risk of trafficking, child labor and early marriage will receive education and empowerment, offering opportunities for them to break the cycle of poverty.

We will sponsor Hope Home in Kathmandu for underprivileged orphaned girls at risk of human trafficking and other abuses. Support will cover meals, education, clothing, medical costs, and a recreational program. The home offers love, care and safety of a family environment so the girls reach their full potential. 

Nepal

The Small World

Himalayan Hope Home - Nepal

Our partner, The Small World's approach to breaking the cycle of poverty is unique, as they not only provide basic services, but also represent a security halo for girls rescued from poverty. 
Underage girls with no guardian present are at a higher risk of human trafficking and other abuses. This stage in their lives is crucial, and determines the course of their future.

Hope Home, the project our giving community is supporting offers the love, care and safety of a family environment so the girls reach their full potential. Upon graduating the girls are educated and skilled, making them more likely to secure a job. 

Rescuing Girls from Poverty: Breaking the Cycle with Hope Home

From the very start, Remisha Rai's life was hard — harder than any person should experience. When Remisha was five months old, she lost her dad because of an illness caught too late by his doctors. Shortly after, her mother abandoned her with no legal guardian in sight.
 
When our partner, The Small World, found Remisha at three years old, she had no right eye, scars covered her face & body, and her teeth were in horrible condition. Over the last eight years, our partner has been helping Remisha recover and heal. To this day, they still haven't been able to find out exactly what happened to her before arriving at the Hope Home.

Fast forward, and today Remisha is an 11-year-old happy young girl with friends she loves, updated immunizations, and monthly health checkups — with doctors discussing treatment for her eye.

She now lives in a safe, nurturing environment. She may not have the best memories from her childhood, but she is creating new memories and has an extraordinary future ahead.

*Remisha's identity has been hidden for safety reasons. 


Impact story of 11 year old Remisha

Nepal is home to 5 million child brides. Of these, 1.3 million are married before the age of 15. These numbers put Nepal at the third highest rate of child marriage in Asia. 

It's difficult to comprehend, let alone stomach, the magnitude of this problem. Nearly half of Nepal's young female population is robbed of their childhood, married off before they have the chance to celebrate their 18th birthdays.

But there's an even darker side to this issue. Every year anywhere from 15,000-20,000 Nepalese girls are trafficked into the international sex slavery industry — 42% of these girls are minors. 

Trafficking of girls from Nepal into India for forced prostitution is one of the busiest slave trafficking routes anywhere in the world, with an estimated 50 girls trafficked each day. 

Traffickers use Nepal's open border with India to transport women and children to India for sex trafficking. Our partner stated that once a girl is brought across the border or "over the mountains," it's nearly impossible to ever get her back. 

Trafficking shatters the existence of these young victims in ways that are difficult to imagine — the gravity of the situation is undeniable, and the numbers paint a bleak picture.
 
So how is our partner addressing this through a sustainable solution? Through prevention. They believe that the best way to combat the horrors of trafficking and child marriage is to stop them from happening in the first place. 

For Project 55, we are partnering with The Small World to sponsor their Hope Home in Kathmandu for orphaned girls at risk of human trafficking and other abuses. At the home, 30 abandoned and orphaned girls who are at risk of trafficking, child labor, and early marriage will receive a safe home and education.

We've all heard the age-old saying, "Education is key." But for the girls in Nepal, education is not just a path to success; it is their lifeline. It is an undeniable fact that girls who are denied access to education face a higher risk of falling prey to human trafficking, forced labor, and early marriage.

We understand this fundamental truth. By providing education and creating opportunities for these girls, our partner is offering them a fighting chance at survival, ultimately breaking the cycle of exploitation.  

 Thank you for being a part of this fight! 

Sources: 
Unicef - Child Marriage Nepal, Justice Ventures International, The Small World  


The gravity of the situation

Meet nine year old Sushma Basnet born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. She excelled in her studies and made it to grade 3 securing all A+ and entered the new school year smiling. 

“I am so happy to go to a new grade next week. I always look forward to this time of the year because I love receiving new books, pencils and copies,“ says Sushma.
 
She loves dancing and playing with her friends. Sushma has a sunny disposition and a very sweet attitude. Despite her father passing away and her mother abandoning her, Sushma feels safe and feels happy at Hope Home.

By supporting the work of Hope Home, you are investing in the future of young determined girls like Sushma. Despite their early traumas, Sushma and the other residents at Hope Home demonstrate courage and resilience, which is nurtured by a kind loving staff.

Thank you for investing in Sushma’s heart –  it's filled with so much hope.

A Sunbeam of Hope - Sushma's Impact Story

Milenta Vega, our Project Director, reflects on her time with the girls of Hope Home. 

“I arrived in Nepal in early May and was pleasantly surprised by its mountainous landscape and welcoming people. Just a few hours in the capital city of Kathmandu confirmed that this country holds a unique blend of cultural richness through its history, diverse religions, and architecture.

The Small World's Hope Home is just North of Kathmandu, and that's where I would spend the next several days with our partners, founders, and, more importantly, the girls who call it home. Every day the girls woke up, made their beds, showered, studied, had breakfast, and got ready to get on a school bus. Among the girls, I noticed a beautiful bond. The older ones lovingly cared for the youngest, serving as role models.

After school, the girls would return to the Hope Home and play outside and do their homework. During dinner, I had the opportunity of hearing more about the girls' experiences living in the Hope Home. It became evident that many of them had arrived at a young age, having faced abandonment, child labor, or abuse in their pasts. Though each story was unique, they all shared a common thread — the Hope Home was a safe haven, protecting them from the high risk of falling victim to sex trafficking. While the topic wasn't openly discussed among the girls due to their age differences, I interviewed the founders (Sonam and Karma Sherpa) and gained deeper insights into the stark reality faced by vulnerable children in Nepal. 

At the end of my trip, I spent an afternoon with some girls who grew up in the Hope Home and are currently pursuing higher education. They visited the Hope Home to see the younger ones and cooked "momos" for everyone. "Momos" is a type of steamed-filled dumpling originally from Tibet. This street food is very popular in Nepal, and every girl knows how to cook it. I learned a few techniques to make "perfect" dumplings, even though mine didn't look perfect at all! The girls shared their experiences on how it was growing up in the Hope Home and what careers they were pursuing currently. There were future dentists, lawyers, engineers, and nurses. We had lunch together and then danced to Nepalese music.

After spending 4 days at the Hope Home, I can confidently say that the girls thrive and embrace a family-like atmosphere. Under the dedicated care of Sonam and Karma Sherpa, alongside their committed staff, the girls receive exceptional support and nurture one another like true sisters.

Our donors' support of Project 55 has profoundly impacted these girls' lives, providing them with the resources, opportunities, and guidance they need to overcome adversity, pursue their dreams, and embrace a future filled with endless possibilities. The older girls I had the privilege to meet stand as living proof of the transformative power of the Hope Home and generous hearts.”

Project Director reflects on time in Nepal  

For 30 girls the labels "orphan" or "abandoned" no longer carry the weight they once did. Now, they are rewriting their own stories — and you helped make it happen.  

Our giving community has done something truly remarkable – providing care, nourishment, and shelter for 30 young girls in a place they can truly call home.

Through education, mentors, and a safe place to live, these girls have been protected from child marriage, forced labor, and human trafficking, promising them a bright future ahead.

Our partner for Project 55, The Small World, reminded us this investment isn’t just a one-time thing. It's a gift that keeps on giving, with each graduating girl returning to the Hope Home community as a guiding big sister for the little ones. What a beautiful circle to celebrate! 

From the heavenly Himalayan peaks to your inbox, it’s time to celebrate the impact you made at The Hope Home in Nepal.

Project 55: Himalayan Hope Home - Nepal

Project 55: Himalayan Hope Home - Nepal