Freely In Hope

EQUIPPING SURVIVORS AND ADVOCATES TO LEAD IN ENDING THE CYCLE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

TO KICK OFF THE YEAR, WE DISCOVERED OUR STRENGTHS, LISTENED TO NEW IDEAS, AND DISCERNED OUR GLOBAL OBJECTIVE FOR THE YEAR: EXPANSIVE TRANSFORMATION: FOSTERING SELF-BELIEF AND NURTURING TEAM HEALTH SO THAT OUR MISSION INFLUENCES OUR LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES. ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS IN KENYA AND ZAMBIA, WE HAD A DIRECT IMPACT ON 3,287 PEOPLE THROUGH OUR STORYTELLING PLATFORMS THAT TRAIN COMMUNITIES ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION. WE CONDUCTED 147 HOME VISITS TO ESTABLISH TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WE TAUGHT 2,305 CHILDREN ABOUT SAFE TOUCH, CONSENT, AND BODY AUTONOMY THROUGH OUR CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. WE HELD 303 COUNSELING SESSIONS FOR SURVIVORS TO HELP THEM REGAIN THEIR AUTHORITY AND SENSE OF SELF. DURING THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CELEBRATION, WE TRAINED 235 GIRLS IN SELF-DEFENSE TO BOOST BODY CONFIDENCE AND DECREASE ANXIETY. THROUGH THIS EMPOWERING TRAINING ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL, GIRLS LEARNED TO GET OUT OF UNSAFE SITUATIONS QUICKLY, SEEK HELP, AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT.? WE FUNDED 27 SCHOLARS THROUGH OUR HOLISTIC EDUCATION MODEL INCLUDING HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY TUITION, HEALTH CARE, SAFE HOUSING, COUNSELING, AND A COMMUNITY OF BELONGING. A TOTAL OF 11 SURVIVOR-LEADERS WERE TRAINED IN OUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODEL INCLUDING A CROSS-COUNTRY TRAUMA HEALING IN ZAMBIA, A CURRICULUM DESIGNED BY THE AMERICAN BIBLE INSTITUTE. IN ADDITION, WE CELEBRATED 3 UNIVERSITY GRADUATIONS. AS COVID RESTRICTIONS WERE LIFTED IN THE US, WE SAFELY ATTENDED THE CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP FORUM HELD BY THE FORUM FOR THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION AND WERE FEATURED ON PODCASTS INCLUDING IGNITE INSTITUTE, MADE FOR PAX, AND SOUND OF THE GENUINE. SINCE THE YEAR BEGAN, WE CONCLUDED THE STORYTELLING FELLOWSHIP GRANT WITH FORUM FOR THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION THROUGH A CULMINATION RETREAT IN MAUI, HAWAII. AS THIS RETREAT BROUGHT TOGETHER 6 ALUMNI, SURVIVOR-LEADERS, AND TEAM MEMBERS OF FREELY IN HOPE, WE ENVISIONED NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR THE CREATIVE WORK WE HOPE TO CONTINUE DOING THROUGH ANTI-SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVOCACY. OTHER GRANTS WON IN 2021 CARRIED INTO OUR PROGRAMS INTO 2022 INCLUDING A GRANT FROM EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH WHICH LAUNCHED A NEW COHORT OF THE MALKIA PROGRAM IN KENYA, CORNERSTONE WHICH FUNDED TRAUMA HEALING TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP LABS ACROSS KENYA AND ZAMBIA, AND ONE DAYS WAGES WHICH PROVIDED MATCHING FUNDS FOR THE KEEP THE NEXT GENERATION SAFE CAMPAIGN. IN KENYA, WE HAVE ADAPTED, PROBLEM SOLVED AND MODIFIED OUR APPROACHES AND SOLUTIONS AS WE FOUND OUR FOOTING POST-PANDEMIC. INTERNALLY, OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON STRENGTHENING OUR TEAM CULTURE THROUGH THE FEED THE MIND SESSIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY ENLIGHTENING AND INSPIRING. WE LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN DUBBED KEEP THE NEXT GENERATION SAFE WHOSE FOCUS IS TO STRENGTHEN OUR CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES BY CREATING RESOURCES AND FACILITATING CONVERSATIONS AND WORKSHOPS TO TRAIN PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS ON HOW TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. WE PUBLISHED THE TRAUMA- INFORMED PARENTING GUIDE ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER BLOGS. WE ALSO ROLLED OUT JASIRI WORKSHOPS TEACHING CHILDREN TO USE THEIR VOICES TO PREVENT THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER FROM SEXUAL ABUSE. WE LAUNCHED OUR SECOND COHORT OF 10 WOMEN IN OUR MALKIA PROGRAM WHICH SERVES WOMEN AGES 13-30 FROM INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS. MALKIA AIMS TO SEE WOMEN IN PROSTITUTION DRIVE THE PROCESS OF REFORM, REHABILITATION, AND OWNERSHIP OVER THEIR LIVES.? TO SCALE UP PROGRAMS AND STRENGTHEN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, WE ESTABLISHED 3 NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND FACILITATED A WORKSHOP HELD BY OUR PARTNERING ORGANIZATION ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION. OUR TEAM ALSO ACHIEVED EDUCATION GOALS BY PARTICIPATING IN DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES INCLUDING COMPUTER LITERACY, AND STORYTELLING FOR CHANGE BY ACUMEN ACADEMY. IN ZAMBIA, 1 SCHOLAR SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL WITH AMAZING GRADES AND ENROLLED IN THE GAP YEAR PROGRAM BEFORE SHE STARTS UNIVERSITY. IN ADDITION, 3 SCHOLARS SUCCESSFULLY ENROLLED AND STARTED UNIVERSITY THIS YEAR AS PART OF THE MINISTRY PROJECT GRANT FROM GIRL RISING, OUR SCHOLARS IMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM THEY DESIGNED CALLED ABAKASHANA ABANTUNGWA MEANING FREED GIRLS. THEY TOOK OWNERSHIP AND LED A WONDERFUL MEETING AT SUPER GIRLS REVOLUTION (SGR) WHICH IMPACTED 100 GIRLS THIS YEAR. WE HELD 1 ORIENTATION MEETING ONBOARDING OF 5 SGR LEADERS AND HAVE SINCE BEEN BUILDING ON THEIR LEADERSHIP TO GROW AND LEAD PROGRAMS AT OF SGR. FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE SUPPORTED 1 SURVIVOR OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE TO REPORT, GET MEDICAL HELP, AND LAY COUNSELING AS SHE PROCESSES HER JOURNEY OF HEALING. TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN SURVIVOR SUPPORT, WE HELD AN INTERNAL TRAINING ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE TO BETTER ADVOCATE FOR AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES.