In western Nepal, many indigenous families subsist as farm laborers. Unable to make ends meet, they have begun a desperate trade—selling their daughters to work far from home as bonded servants in private homes or as dishwashers in tea houses. Some of these children are as young as six.

Alone and far from home, these “indentured daughters” have no knowledge of the ways of city people or of other cultures, and most speak only the local dialect. Their living conditions are entirely at the discretion of their employers. The bonded girls seldom attend school and have no prospects for a decent future. Some are ultimately forced into prostitution.

Working closely with local communities, the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation (NYOF) and its founder, Olga Murray, provide a creative, humane alternative for these families, helping them keep their daughters at home and putting the girls in school.

NYOF decided to try an experiment. They asked 37 families to bring their daughters home for the January holiday. As an incentive, they promised the families that if they allowed their daughters to live at home and attend school (at NYOF’s expense) instead of being sent off to work, NYOF would compensate them for their daughters’ lost wages.

Instead of money, the organization gave each participating family a piglet (or a goat, if they preferred), which they could eventually sell for about the sum they received for their child’s labor. (And often more, if they breed the animal.) They also offered a kerosene lamp and two liters of kerosene a month—items of great value in this area without electricity.

The girl herself received a school uniform, copy books (imprinted with a slogan against indentured servitude), pencils, a book bag, and—best of all—an education.

That first year, 32 of the 37 families brought their daughters home and allowed them to enroll in NYOF’s program. In its second year, the program rescued additional girls. Now, thousands of young girls and their families are participating.

When Doug interviewed this organization on his show over 20 WSKY listeners contributed to getting girls out of involuntary servitude including Doug himself. Find out how you can support this great group with a small contribution by logging onto www.nyof.org.