Donate to Transform Lives with In Bloom Sanctuary

Please join in donating so that I can work towards building the future Non-Profit, In Bloom

Hello, my name is Sophia Bruck. At 18 years old, I made the bold decision to take a gap year and volunteer in South Africa. What I thought would be a short two-month trip quickly turned into something much deeper and more transformative. I spent every day working with children in Capricorn township, where I gained a firsthand understanding of the community and the complex challenges it faces. The story that stayed with me and inspired me to start this was a quiet little boy in my class who came to school hungry each day. He rarely spoke, and after about a week, I knew something wasn’t right. When I asked the teachers about his story, they shared that he lives with his mother, a deeply loving woman who wants the best for her children but has faced immense hardships. She is raising multiple children from different absent fathers all connected to gang activity, which also involves her family. This situation was very common among different families in the township. This environment creates a complex and dangerous cycle of instability and vulnerability. Without access to education, support, or resources, she struggles to provide the care and opportunity her children deserve. That conversation changed everything for me. It opened my eyes not only to the struggles children face, but also to the untold stories of the mothers behind them. Mothers who are doing their best but have been denied access to the tools, knowledge, and opportunities they deserve. Her story reflects the experiences of many women in the township, young mothers caught in a cycle of poverty, violence, and lack of resources. It was this reality that inspired me to create In Bloom Mother’s Sanctuary, a space designed to support and empower women like his mother. Our goal is to provide education, safety, and opportunities so these women can bloom into their full potential, breaking the cycles that have held them back for generations.

The problem:

Many young women living in South Africa’s townships receive little to no education on reproductive health. As a result, early and unplanned pregnancies are very common, leaving young mothers unprepared, unsupported, and often overwhelmed as they bring their children into the world. In many cases, these pregnancies are not just the result of lack of education, but also the consequence of coercion or sexual violence particularly from older men leaving these young women with few choices and even fewer resources. These circumstances create cycles of trauma and poverty that are incredibly difficult to break without proper support, education, and intervention. Most Non-profits and organizations in the area focus on helping the children but what I noticed during my time there was that If the mothers were also educated and supported alongside the support for their children more families would stay together and be successful.

The solution:

This is where In Bloom Mother’s Sanctuary comes in. Our mission is to break the cycle created by a lack of education and sexual violence by providing young mothers and their children with a safe, supportive space to learn, grow, and regain control over their lives. In our early stages, we will begin by offering monthly workshops focused on essential life skills and hands-on training. These sessions will empower women to create products they can sell at local farmers markets or online, generating both income for themselves and support for the organization. Over time, our vision expands to establishing a dedicated property, a home with land where mothers in crisis can stay temporarily while they receive the resources, stability, and care they need or even just a home/space where mothers and their children can come daily to receive support. This sanctuary will serve as a refuge and a launchpad, giving mothers and their children the time and tools to rebuild their lives. We also hope to partner with schools and local organizations to connect these women with opportunities for higher education and long-term employment, creating lasting change that extends far beyond our doors.

The funds from this campaign will go towards all of the things involved with starting a non-profit including initial workshops, permits, etc.

I will share monthly updates of the progress we have made