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Freely In Hope
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LIBERATION IS HERE RESOURCES

liberation is not just near, it is here.

Liberation Is Here is the story of Nikole Lim’s journey as an idealistic freelance filmmaker. Her career allowed her to step in and out of the lives of people who had experienced oppression around the world. But when confronted with the prevalence of sexual violence in Kenyan and Zambian communities, she commits to advocating alongside the courageous survivors whose lives have intersected with her own.

These women’s powerful stories inspire her to embark on a new vocation, partnering with survivors of sexual violence to launch Freely in Hope—a nonprofit organization that equips survivors of sexual violence to lead through their rewritten stories.

But as Lim embarks on the journey towards liberation with the survivors she serves, her perspective is radically altered. Exhausted and deathly ill, she witnesses how these young women become her healers—the once oppressed become her liberators.

Illustrated with dramatic full-color photography from Lim’s own camera, Liberation Is Here transports us to forgotten corners of the world. From the slums of Nairobi, hospitals of Lusaka, killing fields of Kigali, and the back alleys of Barcelona, Lim weaves together stories presenting a narrative of God’s grace and healing amid fear and trauma. Her journey proves that liberation is not just near, but it is here—in the eyes of the broken, the hearts of the oppressed, and the untold stories of our global community.

Learning Resources

Video Course Curriculum

This is a 10 series video course produced with Seminary Now. This course features conversations filled with intimate learning lessons around advocacy efforts for faith-based leaders. The series is taught by Nikole Lim and features conversations with Jean Nangwala, Freely in Hope alumni. This course will equip you to advocate alongside survivors, expand your perspective by learning from the wisdom of survivors, and challenge you to fight against systems of oppression and establish new systems of liberation within your community

Access here
Discussion Guide

This discussion guide is meant for personal study or for facilitating conversation with a book club. Engage with themes in the book regarding cultural heritage, leadership development, and survivor-allyship. 

Download

visual poems

Daughters are made of fire
May our liberation come
In times of uncertainty
Watch on YouTube

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liberation is here

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Journal

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Book + Journal set

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Liberation is Here features original photographs by Nikole Lim and is accompanied by poems.

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Speaking & Teaching inquiries

Freely In Hope
Nikole Lim is a speaker, educator, and author of Liberation is Here. As a storyteller, Nikole shifts paradigms on how stories are told by platforming voices of the oppressed—sharing stories of beauty arising out of seemingly broken situations. Her heart beats for young women whose voices are silenced by oppression and desires to see every person realize the transformative power of their own story. Nikole is the Founder and International Director of Freely in Hope, an organization that equips survivors and advocates to lead in ending the cycle of sexual violence. Nikole has been deeply transformed by the powerful, tenacious, and awe-inspiring examples of survivors. Their audacious dreams have informed her philosophy for a survivor-led approach to community transformation. Nikole holds a bachelor’s degree in Film Production from Loyola Marymount University, a master’s degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary, and is certified in Compassion Based Resilience Training through the Nalanda Institute. She is a native of the Bay Area and can often be found buying African fabric on the streets of Nairobi. Her work centers on uplifting the leadership of survivors—believing that they will be the ones to bring us all into liberation. In it, her hope is that the world may be transformed by them—just as she has. Nikole is available for virtual and select in-person speaking and teaching opportunities. For inquiries, contact: nikole@freelyinhope.org
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Endorsements

“Nikoles tenacity, determination, authenticity and compassion is unmatched. The world is better because of her work.”
PROPAGANDA
PROPAGANDAPoet, activist, emcee
“As a survivor, I have seen how people approach survivors of sexual violence by trying to save them which dehumanizes their strength. Freely in Hope’s work thrives in empowering survivors by being a support system and not a savior. I am super excited for people to read this book and witness Nikole’s journey through the work of Freely in Hope.”
JEAN NANGWALA
JEAN NANGWALASinger, survivor-advocate, Freely in Hope Alumni
“I’ve loved Nikole Lim’s work for a long time now. I’m so excited for her to share her experiences with the world; it’s a very needed perspective.”
KEVIN OLUSOLA
KEVIN OLUSOLACelloboxer, Pentatonix
“Freely in Hope’s unrelenting advocacy work for women has transformed lives and it has truly been inspiring to see the journey progress through the years. I am looking forward to witness more transformative breakthroughs in the coming years.”
MELISSA POLINAR
MELISSA POLINARSinger, song-writer
"It's rare when a storyteller uses multiple mediums to communicate a thought or message, but that is exactly what Nikole Lim does in Liberation Is Here! Using powerful words and visual imagery, she becomes a storyteller of transformation―both hers and others―to make us see faith in new ways. Liberation isn't for some; it's for all. Liberation isn't far away; it's here and now."
BIANCA OLTHAFF-JUAREZ
BIANCA OLTHAFF-JUAREZWriter, pastor, and author of Play with Fire
"Nikole Lim's Liberation Is Here is the story of three African women, all of them sexually assaulted as children, and their extraordinary journeys to survival, restoration, and leadership. Their unforgettable stories convey the appalling reality of near-total impunity enjoyed by men who rape children. Ms. Lim finds hope in the breathtaking courage of rape survivors whose suffering has compelled them to advocate on behalf of others."
GARY HAUGEN
GARY HAUGENCEO of International Justice Mission
"Both compelling and convicting, the stories Nikole shares about serving with survivors of sexual violence not only allow a glimpse into the lives of these amazing young women but encourage us to look at ourselves and ask hard questions about our willingness to trust God amid what may appear to be impossible odds. Liberation Is Here is just that, powerful proofs through stories about what it looks like when people are willing to do the uncomfortable, hard work of healing. This is not just a book about what it takes to help heal others. As humbling experiences with the 'oppressed' expose our wounds, Nikole allows us to see what happens when we realize that we are also in need of healing."
ROMAL TUNE
ROMAL TUNEAuthor of Love Is an Inside Job: Getting Vulnerable with God
"What a vulnerable, deep, and profound book of hope and hidden beauty! Through the lens of an artist, in powerful and beautiful images, Nikole Lim's Liberation Is Here stewards the stories of women who have survived abuse and sexual violence. Heart-wrenching and full of trauma, the accounts of violations against women are not the end of the story. Rather, Lim walks the reader through a transformative journey of joy and profound pain in the quest for liberation from sexual violence and oppression. Liberation Is Here describes a mutual process of transformation and liberation where our individual freedom is bound up in the stories, pain, and the triumph of others' quests for redemption and healing. Lim describes how healing and transformation parallel the story of Jesus through joy and pain, death and rebirth. May all who read Liberation Is Here experience the binding power of our common humanity as we hold onto hope and seek mutual healing and justice."
MAE ELISE CANNON
MAE ELISE CANNONAuthor of Social Justice Handbook and Beyond Hashtag Activism, executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace
"Nikole Lim allows us to see into a world foreign and distant to many of us. . . . With the telling of every story she allows us to find our calloused hearts loosened. There are no easy answers here, but we find ourselves as in her words, beginning to allow ourselves 'to love amidst difficult places.' Thank you, Nikole, for taking us into the places where God can ask us, 'Where are you?' This is a profound telling of story, and Nikole's is a profound work in the world."
JUANITA RASMUS
JUANITA RASMUSSpiritual director, copastor of St. John's United Methodist Church, Houston, and author of Learning to Be: Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out
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LIBERATION IS HERE

by NIKOLE LIM
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