Wednesday, November 10, 2010

CNN Heroes 2010: Anuradha Koirala

Ms. Anuradha Koirala is the Founder and Executive Director of Maiti Nepal. According to the Friends of Maiti Napal:

Born in Nepal and former English teacher, Ms. Koirala started Maiti Nepal in a small house in Kathmandu with her own savings. . . Her commitment has been an inspiration to her largely volunteer staff. Most of the workers are rescued girls and young women who are healthy enough to work. "They need little incentive from me," states Ms Koirala. "They are working to help their sisters and they know the horror of the victims." She adds, "Society rejects me and my girls, but they are the most important thing in my life."

According to their website: In the border areas, Maiti Nepal operates Twelve Intervention Outposts to prevent girls from being trafficked. Here, Maiti Nepal volunteers, who have been rescued from the Indian brothels themselves, watch for the pimps crossing the border with innocent girls who are ignorant of their fate.

Maiti Nepal also operates physical and mental health programs, and a vocational education program.

"We try to give them whatever work they want to do, whatever training they want to do, because when you're economically empowered, people forget everything. People even forget [she is] HIV-positive or was trafficked," Koirala said in
an interview with CNN.

"Anuradha is a hero. ... She's courageous," Geeta [who was brought to Maiti Nepal after police extracted her from sex trafficking at the age of 14, and who is now a peer educator for Maiti Nepal] said in an
interview with CNN. "She gave me my faith back. ... If Maiti Nepal wasn't there for me, I would be dead by now."

To vote for Ms. Koirala
click here.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:49 PM

    Wow. This woman is so amazing and courageous. What an inspiration! It is so great to see people in countries where human trafficking is everywhere, reaching out and overcoming their issues. Besides voting for her, is their anything else we can do to help support Anuradha Koirala and her organization? I would love to do more to help her.

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  2. Thanks for your interest in supporting her work and for reading our blog! There are a number of ways to help the Friends of Maiti Nepal Foundation, including monetary donations, hosting fundraisers, and in-kind donations (http://www.friendsofmaitinepal.org/how-to-help.php). If you are in Nepal, they also have on the ground opportunities (http://www.friendsofmaitinepal.org/trekkers-spread-the-word.php).

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  3. Congratulation ! Congratulation !! Congratulation !!! To Anuradha koirala
    Thanks to all, who have voted her to make CNN Hero 2010. Congratulation to Anuradha Koirala and her team. Hope she will continue her good work.

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