A beacon of hope

Anuradha Koirala the founder of Maiti Nepal, speaks about her fight against human trafficking, sex slavery and challenges in an interactive session organised by FICCI FLO
Anuradha Koirala, a social activist and founder of Maiti Nepal delivered a session titled ‘Humans are not for sale’, which was organised by FICCI FLO, Hyderabad Chapter, recently at Taj Krishna. The session was moderated by Padma Rajgopal, chairperson of FLO.

The 67-year-old activist has been fighting against human trafficking, sex slavery. She shared that she christened her organisation Maiti Nepal as Maiti denotes a girl’s real family, where she was born into.

The word has a sentimental value especially for a married Nepali woman. Maiti Nepal, is a shelter for Nepali girls and women, who are victims of domestic violence, trafficking, and sexual exploitation and it also a non-profitable organisation. It has been a refuge and rehabilitates more than 12,000 women and girls.

“It is a mother’s home for girls that is the idea behind naming the organisation as Maiti Nepal so that girls could feel home. I want a society free of human trafficking and hence I am doing everything in my might to achieve this,” Anuradha Koirala says.

In her endeavour for the greater good, Anuradha has always lived under the shadows of danger as she fights back against the billion dollars illegal business.

“Danger is always there. But if you feel there is a risk and you don't work; then who will? Someone has to do the job," she explains.
Anuradha shared that she gets threat calls from the people, who she got convicted.

“The convicts call me from the jail and threaten me saying that they know where I am, where my son is and what my daughter is doing, etc and we can’t do anything about it so I say okay, try your luck. I say that a person has to die eventually and I am not afraid of your threats.

It was in 1990 when Nepal had acquired democracy; Koirala recalls how every morning she would visit the famous Hindu temple of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. On the extensive grounds of Pashupatinath, Koirala would notice women begging with their children.

"They were healthy and I slowly started talking to them and got to know that they were survivors of one or other kind violence. I asked them if they wanted to work and they said, 'who will give us work at this point of life?" she shared.

Koirala, though not legally separated, was living away from her husband. With a monthly salary of only Rs 7,000 had taken the charge of not only providing a livelihood to eight women but was also responsible for the education and nurturing of her son who was very young.

“Women are taken lightly in Nepal and it took four years for us to fight against it and we are still fighting for it.” In the session, she narrated a few incidents, where she left no stone unturned to help the girls/women in trouble. The audience was captivated by the stories of her helping the women in peril. Applause rented the air when she concluded the session.