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!
take a sneak peek into our body safety programs
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!
The post Maryanne: From Survivor to Child Protection Advocate appeared first on Freely in Hope.