Free to Run

“I remember on our way to escape, there were many snipers, but luckily we didn't get shot and now I’m near to achieving my dreams. Free to Run was with me in my journey and impacted positively on my life.” - Almaz, a Free to Run Community Development Leader in Iraq June 20 is #WorldRefugeeDay, an international day designated by the United Nations to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. In 2024, one out of every 69 people on earth are now forcibly displaced, including 6.4 million people from Afghanistan. In Iraq, Free to Run supports young women who have been displaced, whether as refugees from another country or from within Iraq. To mark World Refugee Day our teams in each location got together to learn about and celebrate the achievements and incredible resilience of refugees. In Erbil, that included a hike in the mountains and listening to powerful and emotional personal stories from peers, with face paint to symbolize the day. “As an Asylum-seeker I didn’t have a chance to complete my education, so I felt unable and hopeless to learn, make friends, or go outdoors. With Free To Run I had a chance to gain life skills, make new friends, and enjoy nature by having adventures.” - Amal, a Free to Run participant and refugee living in Erbil, Iraq

Are you (or someone you know) running the NYC or Berlin Marathon this year? Free to Run will be at both races and we'd love to welcome folks to our team! Running with us gives you an invitation to our race weekend brunch, Free to Run gear, access to our team coaching calls and expert coach, the chance to connect with our global community of runners, and a behind-the-scenes view of our work in conflict areas. It's a chance to infuse meaning into your training, add a social element to your race, and take a stand for gender equity. Send an email to [email protected] for more information and to see if it's for you - we'd love to see you there! 📷: Free to Run Berlin Marathon team members, Megan and Hanifa on a recent training run. Hanifa was also a previous participant of our program in Afghanistan. 🏃♀️🏃♀️

Today we're proud to share 2023 annual report, which looks back at Free to Run's impact and work last year. None of this would have been possible without the support of our global community so to every person who contributed, whether through fundraising, volunteering, donating, or raising awareness, you have our deepest gratitude! Find the link to the report in the comments.

There are still a few days to make twice the impact with a monthly gift to Free to Run! Donating monthly is a fantastic way to make a deep impact in our work to advance gender equity, as it creates a sustainable base of funding for our programs, and allows you to break up your donation into smaller monthly gifts. Plus, even a small amount each month can go a long way. That makes it great for your budget and ours! For example: $7 provides a week’s worth of water and nutrition for a runner at training sessions $15 covers entry into an event like the Erbil Marathon, which our teams spend months training for $25 provides a runner with their team gear, like a running tee and hat $33 allows three young women to attend an annual camping trip in Iraq - for many, this is their first night away from home $79 enables an Iraqi girl to attend our running and leadership program for a full month $115 gives a group of young women a week of secret, indoor strength and resilience training in Afghanistan Set up your gift by May 19 to have it matched by On until the end of the year - for every $1 you donate, On will do the same. https://lnkd.in/gjGJa7jH Thank you to every generous person who is already part of our movement for global gender equity! You make this work possible ❤️

‎سوية أقوى Together, Stronger! These are scenes from our first hike of the year in Erbil, Iraq. Braving the early morning alarm, 25 hikers set out at 5:30am for the journey from Shaqlawa to Music Valley. There's nothing quite like a day in the mountains to get to know your teammates and this adventure was no exception. “Like many of my new friends, this is not just my first hike ever, it’s also the first time visiting this part of Erbil. Even though I’ve been living here for a couple of years, I can’t describe my joy now.” - Roslien “I’m starting to feel what the Community Development Leaders used to tell us about the Free to Run activities. I’m very happy I got the chance to do this hike with you, and to see our accomplishments along the way!” - Sazan Thank you to our generous donors at Spirit of America for their support of activities like this one!

The Free to Run office in Erbil recently had the pleasure of hosting two guests from our partners at Spirit of America, Alan Reyes and Zack Bazzi. Our team enjoyed the opportunity to connect with Alan and Zack over breakfast, and to discuss the powerful impact of our work so far in the region. We're so appreciative of Spirit of America's support of our programs, and incredibly proud of our shared commitment to empowering young women in Iraq. Thank you to Alan, Zack, and everyone at Spirit of America for helping us to advance gender equity through running!

We’re thrilled to announce that for this week only, if you set up a monthly gift to Free to Run it will be matched dollar for dollar by our generous partners at On until the end of the year! If you're familiar with our work, you'll know that Free to Run's mission to advance gender equity globally through running is achieved step by step. As our participants build their self-confidence and leadership skills, their communities begin to increasingly accept and grow an appreciation for young women in leadership roles. These are the first steps towards enduring social change. And for those who wish to be part of this movement, a monthly donation also creates a steady, sustainable impact... one step at a time. Even a small amount each month makes a difference, so it’s great for your budget and ours. ❤️ Set up your monthly gift today to #DoubleYourImpact until December! Learn more at freetorun.org/match

A little over a month ago, the Taliban announced that they would resume stoning Afghan women to death in public. So much of our work is about building women's access to public spaces and as these cruel and oppressive policies progress, the huge strides made for young athletes through our work from 2014-2021 feel far from reach for women in Afghanistan today. While safety is our first and most important concern, Free to Run remains committed to providing secret, indoor strength and mental wellness sessions through our 'Omid' program. We will continue to stand by these young women, even as they face a complete dismantling of their fundamental human rights. https://lnkd.in/gEeQgHNu

We're thrilled to welcome two new members to the global Free to Run team - Sana Mahmud, Global Programs Manager, and Marwah Saleh, Learning and Impact Specialist. Sana joins Free to Run from Toronto, with an illustrious background in sport for development, humanitarian aid, and gender. Originally from Islamabad, she is an alumna of the Fulbright program and former Captain of the Pakistan National Women's Football and Basketball teams. Sana spent the last 7+ years with Right To Play International developing and managing sport-based youth leadership and girls' empowerment programs. In her free time (whenever she is not wrestling with her 3-year-old son), she enjoys taking long walks, hiking, dancing, and reading. She still likes to play ball and is always up for a game when she meets a fellow baller! Marwah is a dedicated monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) specialist from Mosul, whose passion lies in human-centered design, research, and empowering girls and women. During her time with Mercy Corps and the International Rescue Committee, Marwah worked on programs supporting women through gender equity, peace & good governance, livelihoods, child and youth protection and development, agri-business, and more. During the ISIS crisis in Iraq, Marwah and her family were trapped in Mosul. "In those challenging times, I discovered resilience and wellness through home workouts, improving both my physical and psychological health. Working with humanitarian organizations, I've met hundreds of women who shared their stories, giving me a clear picture of the challenges and social injustices faced by Iraqi women over the decades. I believe organizations like Free to Run with their unique model can provide invaluable resources for success. I'm honored to join FTR's mission, contributing to the transformative impact they have on vulnerable women and girls."

Did you know volunteering and giving back to the community is an important element of Free to Run programs? To celebrate #EarthDay, our teams in Iraq gathered in local parks to learn about the environment, understand how small individual efforts can make a difference, and volunteer in a clean-up of their running spaces. In Duhok (photos 1-3), after the hard work was done, the team shared snacks to refuel and went on a hike in the nearby mountains - a great way for our new participants to get to know their teammates. In Erbil (photos 4-6), the team had a great discussion about the impacts of climate change and brainstormed the actions they could take at a local or a global level, before cleaning up their park. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to make a positive difference in their communities! Happy Earth Day!