Freedom Challenge Climbs Mountains to Fight Against Human Tafficking and Oppression of Women and Children

The Freedom Challenge organization, which began in 2011 with Cathey Anderson, started a big movement. This movement, motivated by Anderson's vision, includes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Operation Mobilization’s (OM) projects addressing human trafficking and oppression of women and children.

Director of the Freedom Challenge Tina Yeager said the climb up Kilimanjaro ended up bringing 48 women from 10 different countries to support Cathey’s cause. These women set two different world records during this climb. The first one being the most women to ever climb Mount Kilimanjaro together, and the second being the largest percent of women to summit in a team.

Cathey began a great legacy, and brought on Tina to help. Unfortunately, Cathey passed away last December, but her goal still lives on today.

The first Kilimanjaro climb raised half of a million dollars, but in the past five years, the Freedom Challenge group has raised over $4 million.

From July 31 to August 5, 168 women will be climbing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, five of whom are from Texas. Funds raised from this climb support programs and activities facilitated by OM.

Three of those women are actual survivors. Two of these women have survived trafficking, and one woman used to be used as a slave by her mother and step-father.

OM has projects all over the world in 118 different countries.

“All over the world, we see women who don’t have the value that men have," Yeager said "In some instances, it has nothing to do with the male and female as much as it has the social ladder in places like India, where they are the lesser of the lesser if they’re a Dalit female. They’re under the dogs and the animals as far as value.”

According to the Freedom Challenge website, “The Freedom Challenge is empowering women and helping change the way societies view them and their vulnerabilities.”

Internationally, there is estimated to be 47.5 million women and children affected each year by human trafficking and slavery. Just in the United States, 500,000 women and children on average are affected.

This is why women have given their time and effort to bring awareness to this cause. Money raised is given to projects all over the world.

“They are all addressing prevention development projects, which are a lot of vocational training. [We also have] rescue programs and rescue homes,” Yeager said. “If you rescue them, you have to help them in the restoration process, which is pretty lengthy.”

The Freedom Challenge did not always have that name. The group first picked the name Freedom Climb. Yeager said, “Part of why we rebranded from Freedom Climb to Freedom Challenge was to get more people engaged [who] don’t want to climb mountains, but are passionate about the cause.”

Yeager added that on February 25, 2017, people all over the country will have the opportunity to raise awareness to human trafficking and oppression.

“We’re asking people around the country to, on that date, which is in collaboration with the ‘End it Now’ movement, do virtual walks and do a 5K with us to raise awareness,” said Yeager.

Freedom Challenge would appreciate any support that anyone can offer in helping raise awareness, and to celebrate the women who are preparing to climb and support this cause. To check out their website, click here.