Nearly one in three Kenyan girls experience sexual violence before the age of 18.
In Zambia, 59% of women have been sexually violated.
And in South Africa and beyond, dreams of school and self-determination are diverted by human trafficking, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage.
Survivors have visions for themselves and their communities, but many lack the resources to make them a reality.
Enter Freely in Hope.
What is Freely in Hope?
Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Freely in Hope is a nonprofit organization that assists survivors of sexual assault in these countries through education, leadership development, and restorative storytelling.
Through their community centers, Freely in Hope runs violence prevention workshops, art therapy, HIV prevention trainings, and more to women and girls from urban slums and rural villages.
History
Nikole Lim’s career as a filmmaker covering stories of loss and oppression showed her just how much storytelling can transform tragedy into something beautiful.
She founded Freely in Hope after meeting sexual violence survivors in Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa who aspired to end the cycle for other girls and women.
Project Examples
1. Scholarships
The Freely in Hope scholars, young women who are survivors of or vulnerable to sexual violence, receive academic scholarships, health care, safe housing, and counseling.
2. Storytelling Conferences
Your donation will also help put on storytelling conferences that feature public speaking by Freely in Hope scholars. These events provide an opportunity to hone their leadership skills and become advocates for others by giving voice to their stories.
Impact and Future Plans
The ultimate vision of Freely in Hope is to see an end to the cycle of sexual violence.
With the support of this faith-based nonprofit, Freely in Hope’s scholars now see themselves as nurses, lawyers, women’s rights advocates, and more.
Freely in Hope also s through galas that serve as another backdrop for restorative storytelling. Their 7th Anniversary Gala in August 2017 raised over $100,000 to bring five new scholars into the program in Kenya.
How to Donate
Give a young woman a scholarship.
- First, sign up for a Giving Assistant account.
- Select Freely in Hope on your Giving Assistant account settings menu.
- Choose how much of your balance from cash-back rewards you’d like to donate.
- The next time you shop using Giving Assistant and earn cash back you’ll automatically donate your set percentage to Freely in Hope.
Giving Assistant members interested in donating to Freely in Hope can choose just a portion (or all!) of their cash back earnings to go to Freely in Hope.
If you need more help then you can see how to use Giving Assistant to shop online and donate to a nonprofit here.
If you haven’t already you can also download the Giving Assistant button cash back extension for your desktop browser.
This will help you to start easily support the Freely in Hope nonprofit AND save money on your everyday online purchases at thousands of online retailers.
Not a member yet? Sign up here to start supporting Freely in Hope as you shop online.
If you’d like to learn more about ending sexual violence, visit freelyinhope.org.