sexual assault awareness resources
Try this butterfly hug exercise to center and calm yourself whenever you feel your anxiety rising.
This is a helpful exercise for survivors to bring their bodies to awareness and safety.
MEANINGFUL ARTICLES FOR SURVIVORS
Explore our empowering blogs authored by survivor leaders and experts, offering invaluable insights and support on the journey to healing and empowerment.
A Message from our Incoming Executive Director
In the last couple of days, I have witnessed something beautiful: a transition woven with care.
Freely in Hope Announces Historic Transition to Fully Local, Survivor Leadership
Founder Nikole Lim steps down after 15 years as organization appoints Fridah Wawira Nyaga as Incoming Executive Director, marking a pivotal shift to African-led governance.
Welcoming our Incoming Executive Director of Freely in Hope
It is my distinct honor to introduce our incoming Executive Director, Fridah Wawira Nyaga. Throughout her career, Fridah has been a fierce champion for women’s rights and a strategic leader in the fight against sexual abuse across Kenya.
When Children Find Their Voice: Building Safety From Where I Stand
I used to dream of a community where children could grow up not feeling afraid. Where women didn’t have to scream every night. Where survivors could rise as leaders and lean into their lived experiences to bring the change they wanted to see. The dream didn’t come from some abstract place, it came from living in Kibera, from knowing what it feels like when poverty exposes girls to vulnerabilities, from understanding firsthand what happens when children don’t have the language to recognize violence as it’s happening to them.
Principles of Survivor-Centered Ethical Storytelling for Nonprofits
The “survivor complex” is real, and it deeply impacts the people we walk alongside. The survivor complex is a psychological and relational pattern that develops when a person has survived trauma and begins to relate to themselves primarily through the identity of “survivor.” It often forms because systems, communities, and even support programs repeatedly reinforce this identity, sometimes unintentionally.
Q& A From Pain to Power – The Super Girls Revolution with Magdalene
As a survivor of sexual violence, I started SGR in my mother’s backyard because the need to ensure girls were supported through mentorship, education, and empowerment was so urgent. My dream was always consistent: to mentor girls to take up space and be leaders, allowing every light in the community to shine.
meet survivor leaders
Discover the transformative journeys of survivor leaders and find inspiration to embrace your own path to thriving. Dive into their stories and envision the possibilities!
Magdalene: Equipping Girls to Shine
My ultimate dream is to open a safe home for girls who have been rescued from prostitution, are at risk of being sexually abused, and have no one to fight for them. This home will be filled with hope, faith, and love for dreams to be restored so that they are able to go to school, just as I have.
Meet Lydia Matioli: Author of Pendo’s Power
Serving as Freely in Hope’s Program & Partnerships Director, Lydia coordinates, designs, and implements programs that exemplify best practices on ending the cycle of sexual violence. Lydia is also on the Brave Movement Global Survivor Council.
Maryanne: From Survivor to Child Protection Advocate
Maryanne’s story is one of courage, resilience, and hope. As Freely in Hope’s Child Protection Program Coordinator, Maryanne leads sexual abuse prevention programs across Kenya. She equips children, parents, teachers, and organizational leaders with lifesaving knowledge about consent, body safety, and reporting abuse. As she is creating awareness about sexual violence, her dream is to build an art center for children!
