As a teenager, Menuka was orphaned and left to live on the streets to survive. While there, she came to know the dire situations that was a reality for so many women, including survivors of human trafficking. At 19 years old, she started Raksha Nepal- a shelter for women and girls- and since has led the rescue and rehabilitation of 790 children who have been victims of sex trafficking, and facilitated alternative employment training for 3,765 women caught in the commercial sex industry. All of the children who are placed in her care call her “Aama” which means “Mother.”

Muna became a domestic servant as a young child, following the death of her parents. In the midst of daily abuse, she accepted an offer of work from a village neighbor. At the age of 12, she was tricked into working at a brothel that was disguised as a massage parlor, and she spent two years trapped in that terrifying reality.  At age 14, she found a hotline for individuals caught in dangerous trafficking situations and was taken in by the Raksha shelter.  

At Raksha, she received a new name: Muna, signifying a new life. She received therapy, medical care, and an education as part of her healing journey. She has now completed school, vocational training in sewing, and is part of the leadership team in Raksha's sewing initiative. With courage and optimism, she now uses her experience to help other girls and women with similar stories to find hope. 

Ramila married for love to a young man of a lower societal caste in a culture that holds such actions as taboo. Her family disowned her for marrying someone of a lower caste then them, and her in-laws didn’t accept her either. Unfortunately, her husband didn’t prove faithful to her and abandoned her soon after she gave birth to their first child. Ramila, a young single mother with no support system and little education, was forced to turn to prostitution to provide for her and her child. After too long selling herself for money, Ramila was rescued by Raksha and taken in. During her stay at Raksha she was trained on how to drive and educated in basic life skills to help her become self-sufficient. Now she has achieved financial independence and is able to provide for her child.