Set Captives Free
Every Woman Free
At Set Captives Free, our mission is simple yet profound: Every Woman Free. We are a grassroots initiative focused on fighting human trafficking and exploitation, serving some of the most vulnerable and overlooked women in the Middle East—migrant workers who find themselves in very challenging work environments and even under administrative detention due to a broad system of forced labor.
Many of these women arrive in the region under the promise of ethical work—cleaning homes, caring for children and the elderly, or working in salons, restaurants, and hotels. Instead, they face forced labor, withheld wages, confiscated passports, isolation, abuse, and even death. When they attempt to flee the exploitative work environment, they are often criminalized and imprisoned, left alone in a foreign land with no one to advocate for them.
That’s where Set Captives Free (SCF) steps in.
We listen to their stories, and we advocate for their freedom and restoration through:
Visiting migrant worker women in prison and detention centers
Providing cash assistance for hygiene items and phone calls while in detention
Securing legal support for the victims during their cases
Retrieving clothing and personal belongings for the victims
Coordinating case work support for women while in detention
Communicating with embassies and consulates for travel documents
Visiting women during the repatriation process with the authorities
Connecting survivors to local aftercare partners for reintegration and preventing re-trafficking
Traveling to visit the survivors in their countries and provide holistic workshops
Providing micro-grants for survivor-led small businesses
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SCF began in 2016, sparked by the compassion and firsthand experience of a Kenyan woman named Mary, herself a former migrant domestic worker to the Middle East. She understood the pain and isolation these women face and began visiting prison and detention centers to offer hope. She was soon joined by her friend Melissa, and together—lovingly called Mother Mary and Mama Melissa—they dedicated themselves to freeing women from captivity and restoring their dignity.
Since then, SCF has grown into a team of 4 dedicated staff and 20+ volunteers from all around the world, expanding to three countries in the Middle East. We aim to see this initiative active in every country where exploitation is present in this region. Our staff and volunteers continue to dedicate their time, energy, and passion to regularly visiting these migrant women who have nowhere else to turn to see our mission come true: Every Woman Free.
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Whether you're looking to volunteer, donate, or learn more, your support helps us restore hope, dignity, and freedom to women who have suffered enough.
Visit our website: setcaptivesfree.org
Together, we can see women freed from the captivity of exploitation—one woman at a time.