Meera was born in Nepal, in a very small and poor village. When she was pre-adolescent, her parents died and she was left alone to take care of her younger siblings. They had no food and couldn’t meet their basic everyday needs. Meera and her siblings were completely dependent on neighbours and villagers. Every day was tough, they suffered from starvation and begged for old clothing and food.
When Meera was 14, several strange men came to the village and saw Meera begging for food and water on the road. These men gave her food and water, on condition that she ate and drank in front of them. Because she was so hungry and innocent, she accepted. After that, she was left unconscious. When she opened here eyes and regained consciousness, two or three days later, she found herself in an unknown place, hearing an unknown language. The men that had given her food and water were no longer there. She wept desperately, asking for her siblings and trying to find out where she was. A lady came to her to tell her she couldn’t return to Nepal, and she belonged to them. They had just bought her.
For Meera, this is when hell began. They tortured her and poured boiling water on her genitals. They forced her to do things she had never done before, forcing her to have sex with strangers.
At the beginning she refused, but then they took her food away and she was physically tortured. After a few weeks, Meera gave in, knowing that she had to accept what they were asking if she didn’t want to die. Each day she was forced to perform sex acts on many men, she was just 14 years old. She felt pain in her whole body and soul.
To soothe the pain, they gave her different types of drugs so she could continue working. Over time, she became infected with HIV. As many clients had addiction problems, they used to hit her.
Now, Meera has paid off her “debt”. She is free, but without any type of education her only choice is to live on the street or continue working doing the only thing she has done her whole life.
That’s how the “Second Chance” project by Cooperación Internacional was born. It is an educational alternative for Meera and other women in similar situations, which enables them to face the future with their own talent and skills.
As Meera says: “Thanks to God, now I am taking lessons in sewing and emotional strength. I have learnt to sew clothing so I will be able to give up the sex work and make money by offering my skills to people or in a company. I used to dream of a better life and now this opportunity has opened up to me. I just want to live my life in peace and happiness. I offer my gratitude to Cooperación Internacional and Bergner for making my dreams come true. Thank you.”