WHERE WE WORK
Free to Run operates in some of the most challenging regions in the world, where decades of conflict and instability have resulted in extreme social isolation for women and girls as well as harassment, constrained mobility, and unequal access to education.
Our participants come from diverse backgrounds, but all live in places where girls’ sport is not yet common or understood. As of 2025, we have programs operating in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine.
IRAQ
Iraq continues to experience conflict following decades of war and in terms of the situation for girls and women, Iraq is one of the most discriminatory places to be assigned female at birth.
Since 2018, Free to Run’s program in Iraq has provided sports and life skills training to girls and young women from diverse backgrounds who have been affected by conflict and displacement. Currently, we are delivering programs in several communities and refugee and internal displacement camps in Erbil, Duhok, and Sinjar. In 2025:
100% of participants reported improved leadership abilities
98% felt more self confident
99% of participants reported improvements in their social and emotional well-being
96% reported increased knowledge related to reproductive health
98% reported increased engagement in regular physical activities
100% gained more confidence in how they perceive their body
99% felt a greater sense of belonging and social support through their involvement in the program
62% experienced a decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms
97% developed a more positive outlook on their future
96% of caregivers reported a more positive view in their community of girls and women participating in sport
“Free to Run means a lot to me. Women in Arab and Kurdish society are greatly oppressed by their lack of opportunities, while with just small support, they can achieve a lot. Free to Run supports women to become leaders. I see this as a very great achievement in our society. ”
AFGHANISTAN
In August 2021 when the Taliban took control of the government, and after eight years of continuous growth into five provinces, Free to Run had no choice but to stop our operations in Afghanistan. Since the fall of Afghanistan, the situation for girls and women has deteriorated in shocking ways.
Omid (امید) (the Dari word for hope) is a clandestine program that Free to Run developed in 2022 in partnership with young Afghan women, to support the mental health of girls and young women in this time of existential crisis. We deliver weekly indoor, trauma-informed strength and mindfulness training sessions - cautiously and secretly to mitigate any possible security risk from the Taliban. In 2025:
96% of participants reported a positive shift in their negotiation skills and their self- perception as a leader within their community
67% developed a more positive future outlook
92% reported improved conflict-resolution skills
85% reported practicing yoga 5-7 times per week (compared to 70% at the start who said they never practiced at all)
93% reported improved social support
97% reported a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression
“Sometimes we think we lost everything in Afghanistan and are no longer athletes. When someone comes and trains me like you did, I feel more motivated and am reminded I am an athlete.”
PALESTINE
WEST BANK
94% of participants reported an increase in their leadership skills
94% saw improvements to their mental well-being
84% reported increased awareness about the physical signs of stress
84% reported increased awareness of their emotions and the reasons behind them
87% reported increased participation in vigorous physical activity like running
Our program in Palestine is delivered in partnership with Palestine Sports for Life, founded and led by Tamara Awartani (a champion athlete and social entrepreneur in Palestine). Launched in July 2024, the aim of the year-long program is to build the resiliency of adolescent girls and young women in 10 sites across the occupied West Bank, from Jenin to East Jerusalem. In 2025
“Before joining the program, I felt alone and didn’t want to talk to anyone. Now, I feel stronger, happier, and I look forward to running with my new friends.””
PALESTINE
GAZA
In April 2025, Free to Run launched our Al Amal program in Gaza in partnership with Palestine Sports for Life. Al Amal means “hope” in Arabic. The goal of this program is to support adolescent girls and young women in Gaza to improve their mental health with a focus on resilience, in light of the violence and complex trauma they are experiencing in the current war and occupation. So far, early sessions have already reached more than 100 girls and young women. The program is focused on the most profoundly impacted communities of Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City, where many participants are living in temporary tents. Early data from before the program shows that most participants are starting Al Amal with high levels of distress and very limited outlets to cope. In 2025:
97% reported an increased awareness about where to seek help if they or someone they know experiences violence
99% indicated increased ability to find moments of joy or interest in daily activities; an important indicator of
psychological stabilization in conflict-affected environments
98% of participants reported feeling calmer and more able to manage anxiety and emotional fluctuations
PAST
PROJECTS
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
At the start of 2018, Free to Run began a pilot project in DRC with local NGO AIDPROFEN. Within weeks of starting our project, word began to spread, and almost immediately, we had a team of 60 students and mothers meeting three times a week for a 5-10km run. Thanks to a partnership with 261 Fearless, the global non-profit organization founded by Kathrine Switzer, we were able to expand the DRC project into a full-year program that included the 261 Fearless training program and our own Life Skills through Sports curriculum.
HONG KONG
In 2015, Free to Run introduced a special hiking program for refugees of war and conflict who were living in very difficult circumstances in Hong Kong. It started as a small program that offered a weekly hike for a handful of female adult refugees. With strong local leadership, the program steadily flourished, and in 2017 became its own standalone charity called R.U.N.
SOUTH SUDAN
In November 2014, Free to Run ran a successful project in South Sudan, through a local implementing partner called Sports for Hope. The project focused on volleyball skills training for women living in a site for internally displaced persons. Our goal was to facilitate access to group sports activities for women and girls. Social cohesion can provide critical support to those who need it most, strengthening their coping mechanisms and reducing the risk of further vulnerability.
