“Run For Girls!” 2025 – Break Free From Human Trafficking Let Girls Run to a Bright Future

Human trafficking is a prevalent crisis in developing countries. Millions of children and girls are vulnerable to human trafficking due to poverty and a lack of awareness. Victims are forced to separate from their families, and deprived of educational opportunities, youth, and freedom, many even face unbearable circumstances such as forced labour, violence, and sexual exploitation. When young girls innocently fell into the trap of trafficking, with their dreams and hopes extinguished, how could they live their lives to the fullest in such shadows?

Plan International Hong Kong is partnering with Cosmopolitan to host our annual “Run for Girls!” 2025. This year, the charity run will raise funds to support our anti-human trafficking programs in Nepal. You can help combat trafficking by participating in the run! With one more runner joining the 10km, 3km or 1km run, we can protect one more Nepali girl from human trafficking, and empower her to pursue their dreams!

Date：5 April 2025 (Saturday)
Location：Hong Kong Science Park Charles K Kao Auditorium (Golden Egg)
Time: 8:00am – 1:00pm (Kick off ceremony at 9:30am)
Enrolment Period：24 Jan 2025 – 28 Feb 2025

Register Here, Let Girls Run to a Bright Future

Route

Run Category

Register Here, Let Girls Run to a Bright Future

Click here for more event details.

Check out the FAQ and important notes here .

Online Donation

Runners are encouraged to make a donation in addition to the enrolment fee, helping us to sustain our anti- human trafficking projects in Nepal. Your generosity can help vulnerable girls continue their education and raise awareness within communities about the dangers of human trafficking, fostering a protective environment where they can thrive. If you are not available to join the run, you are welcome to support the event through online donations.

Donate now! (Non-runners)

Girls are not “commodities”; they all deserve the right to grow freely and pursue their dreams. If you are not available to join the run, you are welcome to support our anti-human trafficking project in Nepal through online donations.

• HK$300 – Providing 1 girl with educational necessities such as pencils, school bags, and uniforms, etc. to ensure she has an opportunity to receive education and is free from human trafficking.
• HK$600 – Providing 2 girls with educational necessities such as pencils, school bags, and uniforms, etc. to ensure they have an opportunity to receive education and are free from human trafficking.
• HK$1,200 – Providing 2 girls with educational necessities such as pencils, school bags, and uniforms, etc. to ensure they have an opportunity to receive education; and setting up an information booth near the border for a week for approaching suspicious vehicles to conduct checks in order to help the girls escape from the danger of human trafficking in time.
• HK$2,000 – Organising an educational seminar with the Parents Teachers Association of a school in Nepal to help parents and teachers understand how to protect children from human trafficking.

Volunteer Ambassador

Runner’s Gifts worth up to $2,300

Runner’s pack collection notice will be sent to participants’ email prior to the event.

After the Run, participants will be awarded with a series of sponsored gifts with Run for Girls Finisher Medal.Prizes

Public Run
All public run categories include trophies and prizes for the champion, 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up
• Female and male 10km individual run (various age categories):
• Female 3km individual run
• Bestie 3km group run
• Student 3km group run

Winners will be awarded with a trophy/medal and the following prizes:

Runners in the student group can also compete for the “Most Liked Award” by uploading race preparation photos to Instagram to promote the event. Participants should include their team’s name, the hashtag #R4G2025GENZPOWER, and tag @planhk in the caption. The team with the highest number of likes by 28 February at 11:59 PM will be awarded prizes as follows:

Corporate Run
• Corporate Cup Winner, 1st Runner Up, 2nd Runner Up will be awarded a trophy respectively
• Corporate Top Fundraising Award Winner, 1st Runner Up, 2nd Runner Up will be awarded a trophy
• Corporate Most Participants Award Winner, 1st Runner Up, 2nd Runner will be awarded a trophy
• Running Club Highest Participation Award Winner will be awarded a trophy

Online enrolment

Enrol now, Let Girls Run to a Bright Future

Story Sharing and Anti-Human Trafficking Work

Girls Drugged and Trafficked to India, Enduring 17 Years of Sexual Exploitation

The border between Nepal and India stretches over 1,750 kilometers. Due to the lack of rigorous border control, it has frequently been exploited by criminals as a trafficking route for decades. Countless girls lost their freedom and youth. According to the 2022 Nepal Human Rights Report, approximately 40,300 Nepalis were trafficked between 2020 and 2021, with most of them being women and girls. In Nepal, it is estimated that 1.9 million people face the risk of being trafficked.

Due to the lack of rigorous border control, it has frequently been exploited by criminals as a trafficking route for decades.

 Samikshya (a pseudonym), , who lives in a rural village in Nepal, was forced to drop out of school due to poverty. At the age of 16, she was approached by a stranger claiming to be her sister’s friend, who told her that her sister urgently needed care because of a serious illness. Anxious and worried, Samikshya decided to take the train to visit her. However, as the train moved, Samikshya felt unconscious and later found herself trapped in a small room with other young girls, never seeing the light of day again. “No matter how much I pleaded, they remained unmoved.” After being drugged and trafficked to India, her youth came to an abrupt end, plunging her into 17 years of sexual exploitation. The long-term experience of sex work brought physically and mentally trauma to Samikshya, and she suffered a serious illness that left her paralysed. Seventeen years later, upon regaining her freedom and returning to her hometown, she discovered that her parents had already passed away, and the inability to reunite with her family became a lifelong regret for Samikshya.

Samikshya discovered that her parents had already passed away, and the inability to reunite with her family became a lifelong regret for Samikshya

Survivors Escaped and Rescued Timely at the Border, Taken to a Safe Shelter

To combat human trafficking, Plan International has established educational projects in the community to raise awareness for girls and families. We also set up information stations at the border of Nepal-India to inspect suspicious vehicles, successfully rescuing nearly 900 individuals suspected of being trafficked. One of the survivors is Rashmi (a pseudonym), who faced a marriage breakdown and struggled to support herself and her son alone. Later, she met a Nepalese man, and accepted the man’s proposal to marry in India, believing it to be the beginning of her happiness. However, everything soon shattered like a mirage.

During the rickshaw ride to India, Rashmi grew increasingly wary of the man’s suspicious behaviour. She attempted to escape multiple times, but he violently stopped her. In a moment of desperation, as she jumped off the rickshaw crying for help, and encountered the counsellors of Plan International, who provided immediate support. The man fled in a panic, while Rashmi was taken to a safe house, where she received protection and learned sewing skills. Gradually, she emerged from the shadow of trafficking and began to rebuild her life.

Rashmi was taken to a safe house supported by Plan International. Survivors of human trafficking often encounter discrimination while rebuilding their lives in the community. At the safe houses, they receive psychological counselling and skills training, supporting them in rebuilding their lives.

Plan International has set up information stations at the local border of Nepal and India’s and inspected suspicious vehicles to rescue trafficked girls.

Sponsors

Use of Donations from “Run for Girls!” 2024

“Run for Girls!” 2024 united over 1,900 participants and raised approximately HKD 1 million to support anti-child marriage projects in Bangladesh. Together with the runners’ support, this funding provides scholarships and essential educational supplies to underprivileged girls in Bangladesh, enabling them to continue their education and rewrite their futures through knowledge. Proceeds have also been used to promote gender education and advocacy work, raising awareness among parents and community members about the harms caused by child marriage.

Event Enquiry

Hotline : (852) 3405-5305  / (852) 3405-5342 (Corporate Team or Running Club)

Email : [email protected]