2022: Our year in review!

By Hannah Saxton

We all know the last couple of years have been challenging and 2022 was no exception. However, amidst another chaotic and challenging year globally, The Freedom Project has still managed to create immense change in the human trafficking space.

Women’s Empowerment

One of the highlights of our year was the launch of our Hearty Wholesome Bakery as a part of our Heart of Baking Program. This is a dream project of the last 3 years that was launched on 18th of June 22. 6 girls from our Azadi safe home have been employed at the bakery. And from the month of July, these girls have been receiving a monthly salary – to have a stable income is truly life-changing for these women.

In addition to the launch of our Hearty Wholesome Bakery, we also launched our new sister program: the Women’s Knowledge (‘Vidya Stree’ in Hindi) Bakery Training Project! This is a program run in partnership with the Karnakata State Home for women. The program is focused on introducing the world of baking to women who typically come from backgrounds with limited access to education and training opportunities, and trains approximately 20-25 participants, in the art and skill of baking. The participants also receive individual mentoring and at the end of their training have the opportunity to partake in a internship at reputed local bakeries and patisseries as a way to hone their skills and gain real world experience!

Trafficking Prevention

We’ve also been ecstatic to see our Sport for Life program continue to grow in 2022. With over approximately 1200 boys in our trafficking prevention program across 11 different communities, they have received soccer coaching, life skill lessons and access to education. In addition, our coaches have been able to conduct approximately 1086 house visits each month.

In addition to our Heart of Baking and Sport for Life program we’ve also been able to start English spoken classes for both the coaches and the Azadi girls.

In summary, 2022 was a fantastic year and we couldn’t be more excited for what 2023 has in store.