At 18 years old, Priya* was barely earning enough to eat, lugging bricks in a construction site for a wage in a Nepalese town, Butwal.
That was until a woman approached her at a job site and promised her a better life and a well-paying job in India.
After several meetings with that woman, Priya tried to cross the border solo in 2021 to meet her on the other side and begin her new life.
But when she attempted to travel into the neighbouring country, she was stopped by anti-trafficking workers.
"I got angry," Priya said.
"I had a dream of travelling to India and earning more."
Priya – who used a different name to protect her identity – was intercepted by workers from Every Daughter Matters (EDM), a charity based in the regional Australian town of Port Macquarie where CEO Ross Nancarrow lives.
EDM partnered with Nepalese organisation, Aashish Social Service Nepal (ASSN), a registered Nepali non-government organisation.
Mr Nancarrow said the counsellors "literally walk out and stop traffic and ask questions" of young women looking to cross the border.
He said if they notice red flags — like in Priya's case, where a young woman was travelling with no money, no citizenship papers or contacts in India — they identify them as being at risk of trafficking.
The organisation took Priya to a safe house where she received counselling.
At first, Priya was agitated and confused — but after three days of trying to phone the woman who would meet her across the border, and being unable to reach her, she realised the danger she was in.
Original story link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-21/every-daughter-matters-stops-nepali-girls-being-trafficked/106033126
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