Maryanne: From Survivor to Child Protection Advocate

Maryanne was raised by her grandparents for most of her life because her mother was not present. Despite these challenges, Maryanne and her siblings were able to overcome their circumstances and build a life for themselves. Maryanne’s life took a difficult turn when she was raped by her pastor. This experience left her feeling ashamed and blamed herself for what happened. 

However, Maryanne was eventually able to find the courage to report her abuser and seek justice.

After 12 years of fighting in court, Maryanne was finally able to get justice with the help of our partners, International Justice Mission. Her abuser was sentenced to 12 years in prison. 

Now, as Freely in Hope’s Child Protection Program Coordinator, she 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!

Through her leadership, freely in hope impacts over 3,000 children every year!

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Maryanne’s story is one of courage, resilience, and hope. When you support Freely in Hope, you uplift survivor-leaders, like Maryanne, so that they can pursue their dreams of building a world free of child sexual abuse.

EQUIP SURVIVOR-LEADERS LIKE MARYANNE.

Survivors of child sexual abuse are powerful advocates  in the fight against sexual abuse. A $50 monthly donation will help 1 survivor receive leadership development programs to help them thrive as leaders!

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Meet Idah

Idah is a passionate about the power of speaking of speaking out. She grew up in Lusaka Zambia. She is a survivor and a Freely in Hope scholar pursuing a bachelor’s degree in law.

Meet Ann

Ann, a high school student and scholarship participant from Zambia grew up in an abusive environment. Despite having experienced such a harsh reality, pursuing education through Freely in Hope became her haven.

Safeguarding children in faith communities

At Freely in Hope, creating safe spaces for children is at the heart of our mission to prevent sexual abuse and foster safety for communities. In Kenya and Zambia, we recently launched groundbreaking Child Protection Programs equipping faith leaders with the tools and resources to protect children from harm and foster environments where they can thrive.

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