VOICES4FREEDOM

“Micro businesses offer a lifeline, empowering individuals to break free from debt bo***ge and build a future of freedom and self-sufficiency. The Income Generation Program provides training, in kind, and monetary support to individuals starting a business. Every small venture sparks a new beginning. 🪔
photo 1: Community member do agriculture on their leased land. photo 2: Woman sells vegetables at a local market. photo 3: Man has rickshaw for delivery business. photo 4: Woman owned grocery shop. photo 5: Children visit this man’s produce stand.

Schools4Freedom job skills trainings empower individuals who have freed themselves from slavery by providing them with valuable skills to earn a sustainable income.

We couldn’t resist sharing this heartwarming moment captured by our frontline team at a School4Freedom. After losing their early years to debt bo***ge slavery, these children now have bright and happy futures ahead.

“Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.”

Which is why education is the foundation of Schools4Freedom!

One of Voices4Freedom’s core beliefs is that we cannot helicopter into another culture and presume to know the best ways to combat slavery there. This makes having frontline partners who have a track record of working collaboratively with communities at the grassroots level all-important.

Our frontline team is based in Varanasi, India and has been combating slavery and the systems that allow slavery to exist since 1996. Currently, our Schools4Freedom program has 50 full-time and part-time team members in India, including teachers, frontline activists, and support staff through our partnership. They spend nearly everyday, for 3 years, will these villages to ensure they achieve sustainable freedom.

“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women.” — Michelle Obama

Job-skills training equips individuals who were once trapped in debt-bo***ge slavery with the tools they need to build a future of empowerment and self-sufficiency. At Voices4Freedom, we believe it’s essential not only to help people gain their freedom but ensure they stay free.

From being forced to work to teaching the younger generation… These boys are keeping the safety net of Schools4Freedom going long after we completed the program in their village. After they finish government school each day they come back to the village to teach the younger children, passing on the gift of education they received through Schools4Freedom. These young leaders are determined to ensure every child in their village has the same opportunities. ☀️📚

Celebrating through the universal language of 💃Every step we take brings us closer to a world where everyone can move freely and joyfully. Join the dance party at Voices4Freedom.org

This woman humbly showed off her new house that she upgraded with electricity, laundry, and a tv. After living in a mud hut that would flood during monsoon season, a new house with utilities is something she didn’t think was possible when she was trapped in slavery. Freedom is a puzzle with many pieces and a safe home is one of them.

Schools4Freedom takes ‘Sharing is Caring’ very seriously 🤪
The students learn quickly that their freedom lies in their education. It’s important to not let anyone fall through the cracks. When the older students catch up to grade-level and transition to their local government school, they return to the village at the end of the day and help the younger children with their homework. Many of the students want to be teachers when they grow up so they can teach ‘kids like them who have never been to school.’

The late Sir Ken Robinson was on our advisory board and we will forever cherish what he taught the world about the importance of creativity. He said, “You can be creative in anything - in math, science, engineering, philosophy - as much as you can in music or in painting or in dance. Whether or not you discover your talents and passions is partly a matter of opportunity.”
Once people free themselves from slavery, we support them in exploring opportunities for creativity.
How will you use your creativity this Freedom Friday?

Another micro-business means a safer village. Together, we’re ensuring that communities have the tools and resources they need to break free from the chains of modern slavery. Join us in our mission for a brighter, freer future for all.

“We who believe in freedom cannot rest”

Each School4Freedom receives a solar light 🔆 bringing light and safety to villages that have been in the dark. It makes the community much safer, protecting from assaults and deadly snakes. The students have a place to study and play. There are often cheers and celebrations the first time it lights up, a symbol of light overcoming darkness.

“Before my enrollment in the school, I used to spend my entire day working in the slave owner’s garden, doing household work, washing utensils, cleaning the house, and helping my parents with farming work. I did not like to work. When I used to see other children going to school, I too wanted to go to school, but due to the slave owner’s pressure on my parents, I couldn’t go to school.” -Anjali, 13 is now studying at Schools4Freedom. She will catch up to grade level and transition to her local government school in the next 3 years

This we want to thank all of our supporters - big hearts, generous hands, and beautiful voices...

“Creating a world that is truly fit for children does not imply simply the absence of war. It means having the confidence that our children would not die of measles or malaria. It means having access to clean water and proper sanitation. It means having primary schools nearby that educate children, free of charge. It means changing the world with children, ensuring their right to participate, and that their views are heard and considered. It means building a world fit for children, where every child can grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity.” — Carol Bellamy
We agree with all this - PLUS FREEDOM - and this is exactly what happens during Schools4Freedom.

Play is vital for development as it enhances the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional health of children and youth. When these children were trapped in slavery with their families, they weren’t allowed to play. It’s a hard reality, one that Schools4Freedom is changing!

Equipping all the women in a village with the skills they need to stay free from debt-bo***ge slavery. This join us in fight for empowerment and liberation 🌟

“Empowering women, transforming communities! 💪✨ These are the incredible self-help groups (SHGs) where women organize and join forces to create a brighter future. SHGs are recognized by the government and are granted micro-loans that allow these women to build their businesses. They open bank accounts and save as a group so they’re no longer vulnerable to debt-bo***ge slavery.

Thanks to your incredible support, Kheera and her village of 97 people will be able to free themselves from slavery!

You and the rest of the Voices4Freedom community helped blow right past our goal of $38,885. Together, we raised a whopping $40,715.92!!

This achievement goes beyond a monetary milestone; it represents the collective power of individuals coming together to make a real impact.

The funds raised will send around 50 children to school for the first time! As if that’s not enough to celebrate, every adult will free themselves from debt-bo***ge slavery while learning their rights, job skills, and how to access government programs. In three years, 97 people will be free from slavery forever.
Your generosity has set the stage for transformation and liberation.

We extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who contributed, spread the word, and shared in our enthusiasm. Your dedication to human rights has not only met but exceeded our expectations, and the strength of our community inspires us.

As we celebrate this momentous achievement, let’s also remember that our work is far from over. With your continued support, we will build on this success, striving for a world where every person can live free from slavery.

Thank you for being integral to this journey towards freedom for all.

Behind every face is a story, a journey, and a set of rights that deserve recognition. In the tapestry of humanity, every person deserves to be seen, heard, and documented. Visit Voices4Freedom.org to see how we can help ensure every individual's story is acknowledged, valued, and respected. 🌍💙

"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."
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"Shining a light on freedom this Diwali 🪔 Together, we celebrate the triumph of each person breaking free and insisting on a better world for future generations. Join us in illuminating these stories of hope, empowerment, possibility, and freedom from debt bo***ge slavery.

This community is weaving a beautiful future-starting their own business after freeing themselves from debt bo***ge slavery. 😍

We’re focused on the area of the world with the most modern day slavery. Many families who take these illegal loans, that trap them in debt bo***ge slavery, end up working in brick kilns. With little to no food they’re waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning and doing brutal manuel labor, in unbearable heat, until dark. The children mold the bricks and aren’t allowed to play. There is physical, sexual, and mental abuse; threats that they’ll be thrown in the brick furnace if they don’t do the work.
Our program works to bring people to SUSTAINABLE freedom, quickly, and affordably. Learn more at the link in our bio
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"Empowering dreams, one stitch at a time! 💪✨ SHG women's groups and job skills training are organized after communities free themselves from debt bo***ge slavery. Here, strength meets creativity and a future is filled with hope, equality, and endless possibilities.

A few years ago this man was dying of tuberculosis, trapped in debt bo***ge slavery, and not getting treatment. He and his family were too afraid to tell us their story near their village so they sat on a dusty road nearby and shared their situation through tears.
Today, he’s healthy, free, and owns his own snack shop. He said ‘it’s great because he doesn’t have to work too hard and no F——ERS can trap him in slavery ever again’.
Freedom and empowerment is expressed in all sorts of ways 😂

ID cards aren't just pieces of plastic; they are instruments of empowerment, a shield of protection, a ticket to essential services, and a pathway to a better future. Applying for ID cards is the first step before collecting many government programs and creating a safety net for people freeing themselves from debt bo***ge slavery.