Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Key dates: Commenced March 2005; Completed March 2006
Local partners: Sisters Molini and Dhamma Vijaya
Project background: Dhamma Moli is a project based in Nepal that provides shelter and education to young Nepalese girls at risk of falling victim to human traffickers who will sell them to brothels in India. After meeting Sister Molini in Myanmar, we felt that her strategic aims were very closely aligned with those of The Mandalay Projects. After further due diligence on the founders and the Dhamma Moli project, we decided to provide part-funding of a safe haven for young girls, in cooperation with other NGOs. We co-funded the construction of a dormitory and provided dedicated funding for a kitchen.
Main activities: Construction of the safe haven commenced in 2004 and TMP became involved in 2005. We see this as a good example of how The Mandalay Projects cooperates with other charitable organisations around Asia.
Status of project: A small number of girls (pictured below, courtesy of The Friends of Dhamma Moli) have become the first residents of this safe haven. Sister Molini is pleased with the progress, but is at pains to emphasise how much more remains to be done in this seemingly endless battle against the horrors of the child trafficking trade.
