The Esther Benjamins Trust was set up in 1999 by former British Army Dental Officer, Philip Holmes, after his wife Esther Benjamins, a highly talented judge, took her own life in January of that year. In a one-line suicide note, Esther had stated childlessness to be the reason for her action.

Philip responded to this deepest of tragedies by leaving his promising career in the Army to set up a children's charity in his wife's memory. Inspired by Esther's interest in Nepal - a country she had never had the opportunity to visit during her short lifetime - Philip went there in November of that year to research possible projects. On arrival he read an article in the Kathmandu Post about the plight of children forced to live with their parents in jails alongside murderers and other mentally-disturbed inmates because they had nowhere else to go. Philip set out to found a charity that would provide a safe, loving environment for these children to live in, where they would receive a good education, thus breaking the cycle of poverty from which their plight had begun.

For more on this see the story of this early work that appeared on The Esther Rantzen programme in the UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq598bOCx74

Over the past ten years the charity has expanded to include a number of other projects. EBT is the only charity in Nepal that has been working to rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of Nepali children, as young as four, who have been trafficked across the border to work in Indian circuses. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Trust, many of these circuses have now been shut down and some of the children have been reunited with their families. Many more, however, are deemed to be at high-risk due to poor family conditions, such as alcoholism and drug addiction, which may see them falling victim to trafficking once again. EBT is now providing full-time care to over 130 children at its refuges in Kathmandu and Bhairahawa, many of whom are these ex-circus children and their siblings. Whilst the circus project is now drawing to a close, the work of the Trust continues as remains committed to the long-term welfare and development of these children. You can watch the successful rescue of 20 performers from the Raj Mahal circus in June 2008 by clicking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KS6f2z0aH8

Girls forced to work in the circuses

Although many of the children are still young enough to benefit from a formal education, there are others who are too old to make real headway and so other projects have been set up to ensure that they too have a bright future ahead of them. The EBT Integrated Art Workshop provides them with training and employment in the making of mosaics, allowing them an opportunity to develop a priceless skill and thus the much-needed confidence to thrive in Nepali society. These former trafficking victims are also joined at the Workshop by graduates from the Bhairahawa School for Deaf Children, a school which benefits from EBT sponsorship.

A young girl at an Esther Benjamins Trust refuge

In addition to the two refuges which are primarily aimed at the educational development of school-aged children, the Trust also has a third refuge in Hetauda where some of the older ex-circus girls reside. Here the Trust's focus is on income-generation training, whereby the girls are developing skills that will allow them long-term self-sufficiency. Recent fundraising by the West End Congregational Church is being invested towards the purchase of two 3-wheeled Tempo vans, which are an environmentally sustainable mode of public transport in Nepal. Each Tempo can carry ten passengers in addition to the driver and conductor and will therefore provide four women with employment, for which the girls are currently receiving training. Once adequate funds have been raised to purchase the vehicles and their training is complete, the Trust will lease the Tempos to the girls, thus providing them with a source of income. For more information or to donate directly to this project please visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EBTrust

EBT is now in a phase of researching future projects, such as the development of schools in rural areas. Another is the rescue and repatriation of Nepali children currently being held in Indian children's homes. After lengthy and challenging research earlier in the year which involved the tracing of families living in remote villages, a trial rescue mission took place in September 2009. This proved to be a success, receiving a write-up in the Nepali Times, and has thus paved the way for the continuation of this essential work that will bring Nepal's children back to their rightful home. See: Nepali Times

For further information www.ebtrust.org.uk