The holidays are a beautiful time of connection with friends and family near and far. Regardless of the family situations that we come from, we can make empowered decisions to protect our children during this holiday season.

Every year, Freely In Hope commemorates the International Day of the Girl that focuses on empowering girls and women to use their voices in their communities to speak against injustice. This year, we had the privilege to partner with Ujamaa Africa and Imarika Youth to empower girls in Kibera, Kenya to learn self defense skills.

On International Day of the Girl this year, Freely in Hope is empowering 300 girls through self-defense trainings in Kenya and Zambia. Learn how you can promote safety for girls!

Rape culture is real — the words we say may be unintentional, but careless comments, lack of support, and judgmental attitudes cause great harm. Many survivors are harmed emotionally and psychologically because of the myths, stigmas, and stereotypes that are dominant in a patriarchal culture.

When it comes to children, you as the parent are the first level of support and that sometimes can feel like a daunting task. Beginning to care for your child’s mental health begins with knowing your child and what their “normal” looks like. Use that as a basis to understand and appreciate their uniqueness.