INTRODUCING FREELY IN HOPE’S FIRST CHILDREN’S BOOK THAT PREVENTS CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
coming to the us fall 2023
Meet Pendo! Pendo is a six-year-old girl from Kenya’s Kibera slum. She prevents sexual abuse by teaching her friends about body autonomy, consent, safe touch, and the power of their voice! This illustrated storybook will empower both parents and children to respond to sexual abuse. Written in English and Kiswahili, children will not only learn a new language but also learn how to harness the power in their voice to speak up against sexual violence.
Pendo's Power teaches lifesaving education and empowering resources that prevent child sexual abuse.
Pendo’s Power will be available in the United States in Fall of 2023. Stay Tuned!
DOWNLOAD THE FREE CAREGIVER COMPANION GUIDe
Pendo’s Power is written with the hope that through open, consistent, and transparent conversations, children will be able to understand and articulate the concepts of consent, bodily integrity, and trust. We wrote this companion guide to help parents and caregivers have open conversations with children and explore the key messages of Pendo’s story.
ENDORSEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After giving birth to her daughter, Lydia Matioli wanted to ensure her daughter grew up in a world that was safe. As a survivor of child sexual abuse, Lydia was terrified that her daughter could be vulnerable to the same abuse she experienced. As a child-protection advocate, Lydia wanted to educate children to be aware of what abuse looks like, and to empower parents to build trust and establish safety measures with their children. This vision birthed Pendo’s Power, her first children’s book! Born and raised in Kibera, East Africa’s largest slum, Lydia has experienced the effects of sexual violence, lack of education, and poverty firsthand. Now serving as Freely in Hope’s Program Manager, Lydia coordinates, designs, and implements programs that exemplify best practices on ending the cycle of sexual violence. She is passionate about seeing survivors unlock and fully live out their potential. Through the launch of Pendo’s Power, Lydia hopes that children around the world will discover the power of their voices and utilize it to call out sexual abuse and build a safer world for generations to come.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME A CORPORATE SPONSOR?
Sponsorship of the Pendo’s Power is an opportunity to support the movement to end child sexual abuse and be recognized for this commitment through valuable brand and content placements. Your support of this event brings increased awareness to child safety interventions and celebrates best practices in child protection, demonstrating leadership on these extremely important issues.
Showcase and promote lifesaving educational resources for parents and caregivers
Bring increased awareness to the global issue of child sexual abuse and the solutions to end it
Enhance Brand reputation and build trust through meaningful networking organizations
In addition, your sponsorship will allow Freely in Hope to provide free books and workshops to parents living in Kenya’s informal settlements, increasing access to lifesaving education. Contact nikole@freelyinhope.org.
Together, we can protect children.
ABOUT FREELY IN HOPE
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO, WE BEGAN TO ENVISION A WORLD THAT WAS FREE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
Through the powerfully transformative stories of survivors of sexual violence, we equipped their dreams through education, leadership, and storytelling—creating a platform for their voices which were full of beauty amidst brokenness. Deep within the slums across Kenya and rural villages in Zambia, we learned of the plight of girls and young women affected by sexual violence. Their courage, tenacity, and hope inspire us daily. Their dreams have become ours.
Their dreams of arising from violent oppression, achieving their educational goals, and encouraging others through their rewritten stories drive our programs. We provide holistic education, helping our university scholars achieve degrees in law, counseling psychology, broadcast journalism, business, and education. We equip survivors and advocates to lead through our Leadership Development programs. Our Storytelling Platforms support over 3,000 people across Kenya and Zambia, and by providing a safe space for women and girls to learn about leadership, trauma healing, spiritual formation, legal rights, entrepreneurship, and violence prevention.
We invite you to join us in the fight against sexual violence—celebrating and equipping the dreams of the young women of Freely in Hope. May their dreams become yours as well.
JOIN THE MAILING LIST TO LEARN MORE
Pendo’s Power will be releasing in the Bay Area in the Summer of 2023 and will be available for purchase around the world. Sign up for our mailing list to hear the latest updates to buy the book and access free resources to help you prevent child sexual abuse.