The most significant way my perspective shifted about my own life and future, after receiving support from Freely in Hope, was learning to truly believe in myself again. Before joining the Malkia program, I often felt lost and unsure if my life had any real purpose. I carried pain from my past that made it hard to imagine a future filled with hope. Every day felt heavy, like I was moving through fog without knowing where I was going or if there was even anywhere worth going to. But through Freely in Hope, I found healing, love, and community that saw the best in me even when I couldn’t see it myself. The mentors and sisters I met reminded me that my story matters, that my voice has power. And slowly, something inside me began to shift. I began to dream again. I started to see myself as a leader, someone who is capable of change, not only for myself but for others too. Now I look at my life with gratitude and strength because I know I’m not defined by what I’ve been through, but by how I rise from it.
In 2018, I joined a Freely in Hope program called Malkia. Its mission was to equip women working in prostitution through entrepreneurship training. It was started by a Freely in Hope alumni, Maryclare Beche, who had a passion to support women in prostitution based on her own story of forced prostitution and human trafficking. When I joined Malkia, I was desperately looking for a way to get off the streets. The Malkia program helped me rediscover my worth, and because of that, I see a future full of hope, full of courage, and purpose.
“After sharing my journey with younger women in Malkia, I saw how my healing could inspire theirs. I watched their faces change as I spoke, watched them sit up a little straighter, watched something wake up in their eyes. That moment showed me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about using my experience to uplift others. ”
Sarafina Njoki, Freely in Hope Alumni
Image: Sarafina as a Malkia participant in 2018.
Unlike traditional models that often focus only on rescue or rehabilitation, our program centers on empowerment, education, and choice.
Freely in Hope helped me see that I could turn my pain into purpose and become a source of hope for my community. My dream for my community was simple but powerful: to see young women rise with confidence and believe they can create their own future. I wanted them to know their voices matter. My own journey with Freely in Hope taught me the power of mentorship, and I realized that when someone believes in you, it can change everything. One person seeing your potential, one person refusing to give up on you, one person showing you that you matter, that can shift the entire trajectory of your life. That experience inspired me to empower young women who are working in prostitution, to help them see their strength and to show that they, too, can be leaders of change in their communities.
Image: Sarafina after graduating from Malkia.
Through my own journey of healing and empowerment with Freely in Hope, I learned the power of being believed in. When I graduated from Malkia, I wanted to be a leader to help other women as well. I wanted to provide a safe, loving space where these women can access empowerment, learn new skills, and be reminded of their worth. What makes the Malkia program different is its survivor-led empowerment focus. We offer a more powerful pathway to healing and justice because we understand the pain, the stigma, and the journey toward healing not from theory but from lived experience. This allows us to work with women with empathy, not judgment.
I know what it feels like to be dismissed, to be reduced to your circumstances, to wonder if you’ll ever be seen as more than your survival strategies. Unlike traditional models that often focus only on rescue or rehabilitation, our program centers on empowerment, education, and choice. We create a safe space where women’s voices lead the process, where healing comes through community, through shared stories, through building confidence together. By leading with survivors, we show that healing and justice are possible when women are trusted to shape their own beautiful futures.
The most fulfilling aspect of leading the Malkia program has been watching the next generation of leaders rise with confidence and passion. Seeing the women I once guided are now partnering with me to lead programs, mentor others, and creating change in their own ways. It reminds me that true leadership is about passing on hope, not holding onto it. Leadership isn’t about being the one person who does everything it’s about multiplying yourself through others, about creating more leaders who will create even more leaders. Watching the Malkia program grow through new voices and new ideas shows me that the vision is alive and continuing beyond me. Through the Malkia program, we have seen a powerful transformation in the lives of women. Many have left prostitution and are now running small businesses. We’ve seen them gain confidence, experience emotional healing, and develop a strong sense of community among themselves. This change shows that when women are given a safe space and people who believe in their worth, they not only rebuild their own lives they also become role models who inspire others to do the same. That ripple effect is everything. One woman finds her strength, and suddenly three more women believe they can find theirs. Those three inspire ten more. That’s how movements happen.
Image: Sarafina (right) with Mercy (left), Malkia Peer Educator and Alumni, and Juliet (middle), Malkia microgrant beneficiary, in front of Juliet’s business selling beauty supplies.
These initiatives expand Freely in Hope’s mission by allowing survivors like us to lead from our own stories. And when we use our voices to create change, we turn our pain into purpose and show others that healing and justice are possible. By leading with hope and courage, we move closer to a world where no one has to experience sexual and gender-based violence again. That’s the vision, not just helping people survive, but creating conditions where harm doesn’t happen in the first place. To every survivor healing right now, my message is this: take your time. Your journey is your strength. Even in your quiet moments, you are rebuilding hope. Healing isn’t linear. Some days you’ll feel powerful and clear, and other days you’ll feel like you’ve lost all your progress. But you haven’t. Every single day you choose to keep going, you’re building something. When you’re ready, use your voice. It has the power to heal others and bring change in your community. You are not alone, and your story carries light and transformation. You don’t have to wait until you’re “fully healed” to make a difference. Sometimes, leading others is part of how we heal ourselves.
“Investing in survivor leadership is investing in a new future, one where healing, justice, and hope guide the way. Survivors carry deep wisdom born from pain, resilience, and courage. When given the chance to lead, we don’t just rebuild our own lives we reimagine what safe, thriving communities can look like. We know what didn’t work because we experienced it. We know what’s missing because we felt the absence of it. ”
Sarafina Njoki, Freely in Hope Alumni
We know what’s needed because we’ve experienced it firsthand. Supporting survivor leadership is how we move from awareness to lasting transformation in different communities. I learned something profound through this journey: believing in someone can change their entire life. Someone believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself, and that belief became the foundation on which everything else was built. Now I get to be that person for others. I get to look women in the eyes and tell them, “I see you. I believe inyou. Your life has purpose and your future has hope.” And I get to watch as that belief takes root and grows into something beautiful.
Image: Celebrating the graduation of the third Malkia cohort!
That’s what Malkia means: royalty, queenliness. Because every woman who walks through our doors is royalty, even if the world has treated her like she’s disposable. Our job is to remind her of what was always true: she is worthy, she is powerful, and she is capable of creating the future she dreams of. And when she starts to believe that, when she starts to walk in that truth, everything changes, not just for her, but for everyone she touches. We are living proof that transformation is possible, and we’re committed to making sure no one has to walk that path alone.
That's the work. That's the movement. That's why survivor leadership matters. Because we don't just understand the problem, we embody the solution.
SARAFINA NJOKI
PEER EDUCATOR
If you’re interested in bringing Malkia to your community, Freely in Hope provides trauma-informed and survivor-centered training on survivor support group implementation. Learn more!
