Manchala grew up with no mother, but was close to her grandmother, who loved her deeply. “My grandmother died when I was 13. Soon after that I stopped going to school and started working, first in a tea factory and then at a quarry. I was always dreaming of a better life.”

One day Manchala met two men who promised to get her a well-paid job in neighbouring India. But instead they sold her to a household as a maid. She worked hard but never got paid and was kept locked up. But the worst thing was that one of the men who had sold Manchala started to visit the house to abuse her. This happened several times, over a long period.

Manchala escaped! Finally, Manchala couldn’t take it any more. She managed to escape and the man was caught by the police. Then Manchala started getting death threats from his friends and relatives, but she did not back downToday, Manchala lives at a home for vulnerable girls in Nepal run by World’s Children’s Prize partner Maiti. She is going to school again. 

In 2014 Manchala's traffickers were convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. They were also ordered to pay victim’s compensation to Manchala for her suffering.  

“I teach other children that they have rights and warn them about being tricked by traffickers.”