A DENTIST from York has been using her skills to help vulnerable women in Nepal.

Andrea Ubhi whose cosmetic dentistry practice is in Stonegate has just returned from Nepal where she was working with the charity Asha Nepal, a human rights organisation, working towards the social and economic empowerment of women and children affected by sex trafficking.

Andrea who won Dentist of the Year North in 2013 and Dentist of the Year 2005 visited a reintegration centre in Kathmandu which houses girls who have just been rescued from India after being sex-trafficked.

The centre which is run by Asha Nepal houses about 16-20 girls.

Andrea said: “I was looking for a charity that I could support where I felt I could make a real difference to people’s lives. Sex trafficking is increasing in public awareness but there is still a long way to go.

"I met the UK team from Asha Nepal and was really impressed with their work and so decided to visit the centre in Kathmandu.

“A common story is that many of the girls come from the rural hillside villages, where life is incredibly tough.

"They are promised work in the city by "friends", so they are sent away by their families. They can be sold on several times before finding themselves in the brothels of major cities in India, Mumbai, Delhi Kolkata etc.”

While Andrea was at the centre she carried out dental check ups on all the girls and children, providing toothbrushes, and teaching them good oral hygiene. She has also started a dental fund so that the girls who have dental issues can see a local dentist, and has been providing business support for the management team and financing of the projects, and has just been elected as a trustee.

Andrea's plans for fundraising include a sponsored trek in the Himalayas at Easter 2015, and a sponsored bike ride this summer to raise funds for a new foster home in Kathmandu to house five more rescued girls.