Jassa Ahluwalia
Annapurna Base Camp Trek 2023
Fundraising for One Family Global
Story
I’m heading back to Nepal! Very excited to share that I am joining One Family’s Annapurna Base Camp Trek in March, raising funds to fight human trafficking.
One of the things that I really struggled with during my abortive Annapurna expedition last October was the disconnect between the wealthy adventure tourists, rocking up with expensive outdoor gear (myself included), and the fact that Nepal remains one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
So when One Family reached out to see if I was interested in joining a trek in support of a Kathmandu-based non-profit, dedicated to fighting human trafficking, I jumped at the opportunity.
Every year, it is estimated between 7,000 to 10,000 girls from the age of 9 are being trafficked from Nepal to India. The scale of exploitation they are facing is astronomical. Traffickers take away their passports and IDs; separate them from their families and friends; and subject them to physical, emotional and mental abuse and torture.
One Family has been working relentlessly to fight human trafficking with its fund partner on the ground: Maiti Nepal. Together, they have intercepted the trafficking of more than 50,000 women and girls. Through education, legal support to bring traffickers to justice, medical aid, shelter, work/skills training and more - Maiti Nepal has become a safe haven for those who have been exploited.
My fundraising target feels as monumental as the Himalayan peaks, but whatever you can donate, every penny will protect and sustain the essential work of Maiti Nepal: ensuring no victim of trafficking is left stranded.
