Over the past five months in Southern Africa, I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the most beautiful, joyful, and inspiring people, including many young girls and women. However, the harsh reality for many of them is that they are likely to have experienced gender-based violence or rape.

In South Africa, a woman is raped or sexually assaulted every 25 seconds. Each year, over 50,000 rapes are reported, and these figures represent only a fraction of the actual cases. Many survivors don’t come forward due to feelings of shame or fear, and tragically, even places meant to provide safety, such as hospitals, have seen reports of rape by staff or other patients.

Currently, I’m volunteering with Wild Connection in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. On April 12th, I’ll be joining a group of incredible women to host a women’s empowerment camp called Brave Spaces. This camp will welcome 32 local girls, aged 14 to 18, who have experienced gender-based violence or rape and face significant challenges within their communities.

The camp will include art therapy, self-defense classes, motivational talks, and pampering activities like massages to help these young women heal and feel empowered. To further support their safety and confidence, we hope to provide each participant with safety keychains, including personal alarms and other protective tools. Unfortunately, these items are expensive, and we need your help to make this possible.

Our goal is to raise as much money as possible to purchase these keychains and give these girls a sense of security and bravery as they navigate life beyond the trauma they’ve endured. If you’re able to contribute, please consider donating through this link. Every donation counts, and we need to place the order soon to have the items ready before the camp begins on April 12th.

Thank you for helping us make a meaningful difference in these young girls’ lives.

With gratitude,


Karis