The Seed of Hope Begins in Your Hands(Sharon)

Hello. I’m Sharon Jang, author of Girl with Black Makeup.

I was born in Aoji, North Korea, and lived 21 years without dreams or hope.

For three years, I toiled in the dark underground tunnels of the Aoji coal mines—a place people often joke about—enduring accidents and hard labor again and again.

But even in that painful reality, I couldn’t freely say even one simple phrase: “This is hard.”

I arrived in South Korea in search of freedom. But to me, Korean society was yet another unfamiliar and difficult journey.

Foreign words and English made me feel even smaller, and my confidence and self-esteem hit rock bottom.

Then one day, the warm support of Casey and Eunkoo, the co-founders of Freedom Speakers International (FSI), reached me. Their sincere encouragement planted a small, fragile seed of hope inside me.

That seed grew—and now here I am.
Someone who speaks to people around the world, nervously but confidently sharing her story in English.

All of this has changed my life in a positive direction.

But this journey was one I could never have walked alone.

And that’s why, now, your warm support is a great strength to North Korean refugees and to FSI, the group that supports them.

FSI helps North Korean refugees learn English and find their voices through public speaking and writing.

Yet there are still many obstacles in the way: language barriers, financial hardship, and social prejudice.

Your small act of giving can bring about big change. And your helping hand can give rise to another Sharon.

Please join me in this fundraising campaign, so that the voices once silenced can finally be heard.

A world where we can speak freely—it begins now, in your hands.

Thanks to a generous South Korean donor, Freedom Speakers International is running a Matching Challenge to empower North Korean refugees.

The Matching Donor has pledged $42,000 to FSI or $3,500 per month. The sooner we can hit the goal, the sooner we can get the money.

At FSI, we empower North Korean refugees through education and public speaking. Participants build English skills, develop confidence on stage, and learn how to present their own experiences with accuracy and dignity. Many now speak at universities, conferences, and public forums around the world. Some are publishing books, contributing to media discussions, and telling their stories in English for the first time.

This Matching Challenge allows every fundraiser created and every contribution made to have a greater impact. By starting or supporting a fundraiser, you help unlock additional matching funds that directly support mentoring, training sessions, speech preparation, and public events.

How can you join this?

* Become a monthly donor of any amount. 

* If you are already a monthly donor, you may switch your monthly donation to this fundraiser.

* Set up a fundraiser in support of this project.

Even if your fundraiser does not raise money, creating one still matters. Each new fundraiser increases visibility, expands our reach, and helps us unlock more support through the matching challenge.

Casey Lartigue Jr.
Co-founder and Chairman
Freedom Speakers International (FSI)