With just two more days left in our 16 Days of Freedom, I thought it might be a good idea to share with you about The Freedom Hub – what we do, our vision, and how you can be a part of it.
The Freedom Hub
The Freedom Hub’s vision is to end modern slavery in Australia, help rebuild the lives of survivors, and partner in ending modern slavery around the world. Our founder, Sally Irwin, pioneered a model for social change by building influential “hubs” that fund and impact the issue of slavery in Australia. Each year, as awareness grows, our mission expands. After almost a decade, we are closer to ending slavery in Australia, and we have helped hundreds of women heal and re-enter society.
In the beginning …
Our founder and CEO, Sally, lived in Berlin when she became aware of the human trafficking of women and girls happening across Eastern Europe. Her exposure to the violence and trauma these women were experiencing changed her life and, by extension, the lives of hundreds of women in Australia. When she moved back to Sydney four years later, she was shocked to hear that the same slavery happening across Eastern Europe was also happening in Australia. Although the types of slavery differed, there were still women and young girls coerced, manipulated and exploited within our borders.
“Finding out women in Australia could be living with no rights, no freedom of choice and enduring abusive violence was something I could not live with. It kept me awake at night. But, aren’t we supposed to be the ‘lucky country’?” Sally Irwin
Sally then launched what has now become The Freedom Hub. We are a registered Australian charity that provides an aftercare program for survivors, offering physical and emotional support after their rescue. Most survivors are women who have experienced abuse and violence and have lost all their freedoms, including their freedom of choice.
Supporting survivors
The Survivor School is the heart of our organisation. It allows women who have been rescued or managed to escape their situation to rebuild their confidence through life-ready courses and puts them in a position to find safe employment.
The Survivor School Program runs various courses that assist with independent living, social engagement and healthy lifestyle development. At the same time, there is also ongoing legal and income support until the procedure is finalised and they are resettled.
“The Freedom Hub helps survivors stay motivated & seek opportunities to live a life of freedom by offering individual supported learning and work pathways. This sets them up with hope and the opportunity to have another go and not lose heart.”
Sally Irwin
We’re grateful for the dedication of our partners committed to employing many of our survivor graduates or offering paid internships. While it may seem like a small gesture, obtaining an Australian work reference and gaining work experience positions many of our survivors further along the road of recovery, independence, and healing.
We need YOU
We’ve done a lot of good work over the last ten years. We are incredibly hopeful for what 2024 holds – increasing our reach, helping survivors, raising awareness and educating individuals and corporations about modern-day slavery.
We can’t do this work without you.
Join Our Team
Help raise awareness and join our local volunteer team; contact us here.
Or, if you’d like to opt into our monthly newsletter, opt in here.
If you would like to support our work, you can donate here.
You can join our High Tea for Human Rights in Waterloo, Sydney, by clicking HERE.
You can Host your own High Tea by emailing [email protected], and we will send you information and a fact sheet to read or distribute to your guests.
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