Every year, Freely In Hope hosts a four-day retreat for the scholars in the program in Kenya and Zambia. Freely in Hope scholars are supported by our holistic education program that funds their tuition fees, health care, safe housing, and leadership development. This is an opportunity for scholars from high school and university to engage in a supportive community of belonging.
Healing workshops
This year, we focused on themes including our identity, peer pressure, and reclaiming our bodies. These conversations are tailored to the needs of the girls to help them thrive during this phase of their life. High school and college years hold a lot of transition, but also transformative opportunities. We discussed the following topics…
Who Am i AFTER ASSault?
During this workshop, the girls reconnected with themselves by accepting all facets of who they. By embracing what their unique personalities are, they have been able to celebrate each other. The healing journey can feel very lonely, especially when it looks different from your own journey. After taking personality assessments, the scholars shared what they are most proud of about who they are. They were able to also explore coping mechanisms that best serve their unique way of processing.
How do i handle peer pressure?
The scholars are redefining their future, goals, hopes, and standing up against rape culture. Though Freely in Hope provides a holistic and supportive community, they are still surrounded by culture, beliefs, and stigmas that contribute to rape culture. During this workshop, they created skits representing issues they experience in their communities. They also shared perspectives that they have grown from and new worldviews that contribute to how they stand up for themselves. They are able to dream of a future bigger than these odds and are determined to be leading examples of what is possible for themselves, and for other women in their communities!
what is the truth about my body?
Period education has been taught in ways that shame and harm young girls in our community. These myths about sex keep girls vulnerable to deceptive, manipulative tactics that cause sexual violence and keep survivors of sexual violence feeling silenced. For example, as soon as a girl starts her period she is made to believe that she has become a woman automatically. Her body becomes an object for men to abuse. Girls experiencing early menstruation stand a high risk for unwanted pregnancy and child marriage. In rural communities, 29%–48% of girls in Zambia and 18%–23% of girls in Kenya are married off before they turn 18.
We partnered with Free the Girls to debunk some of these myths and help the girls reconnect with their bodies. We used handmade bracelets to teach concepts around the period cycle and symptoms. We used the bracelets to educate the girls about the myths and facts about their bodies.
myths
There are 5-7 “safe days” after your period where you will not become pregnant if you have sex.
Periods are dirty and girls should be ashamed of themselves during this time of the month.
A girls body is not important and men can use and abuse them whenever they wish.
facts
This false belief has been used as a manipulative tactic to justify unprotected sex. Educating girls about ovulation helps them understand and advocate for what they want concerning their bodies.
This false belief has contributed to feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem for girls. Educating girls about the normalities of menstruation can help them feel more powerful.
As survivors of sexual assault, the act of violence leaves emotional, physical, and psychological scars that reinforce this false belief. At Freely in Hope, we help girls understand that loving their body is part of the healing journey.
At Freely in Hope, we are committed to providing holistic support for survivors of sexual violence so that they can flourish in all aspects of their lives. Help us continue providing resources and healing spaces for survivors to process, heal and thrive by joining Hope Circle.
join hope circle
As a Hope Circle member, your donations literally encircle each scholar within Freely in Hope’s scholarship program — providing them with what they need to not just survive, but to thrive.
