Ruth Kimani: Head of Programs for Africa, Freedom Fund

Ruth Kimani has spent more than two decades working alongside communities across Africa to address some of the world's most complex human rights challenges. Today, as Head of Programs for Africa at the Freedom Fund, she leads initiatives across Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Nigeria that have invested more than $26 million in frontline partners and directly impacted more than 223,000 people through locally led efforts to combat modern slavery. In this episode, Ruth joins us to discuss one of the world's most widespread yet least visible forms of modern slavery: child domestic work. Hidden behind closed doors, at least 10 million children, many of them girls, spend their days cooking, cleaning, and caring for households instead of attending school, often isolated from their families and vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Together, we explore why community-led solutions are essential to protecting children's rights, how trust-based philanthropy is reshaping international development, and what it takes to create lasting, systemic change. Ruth also shares how the Freedom Fund's hotspot model is transforming communities across Africa. We discuss the impact of international funding cuts and why ending child domestic work requires long-term investment, stronger protections, and communities working together.   SHOW NOTES Ruth Kimani | Head of Programs for Africa, Freedom Fund Freedom Fund Donate to the Freedom Fund Reports, Articles, and Resources 2025–2026: Freedom Fund Impact Report What Is Modern Slavery? Understanding Child Domestic Work Freedom Fund's African Hotspots:  Kenya Hotspot: Ending Child Domestic Work Nigeria Hotspot: Ending Child Domestic Work Ethiopia Hotspot: Ending Child Domestic Work Behind Closed Doors: Millions of Girls Are Working Instead of Learning | More to Her Story by Ruth Kimani What Three Years of Listening Have Taught Us About Child Domestic Work | Global Peer Learning Group Ideas in Action: Pilot Program Evaluation in Nigeria | NORC at the University of Chicago, The Khana Group & The Freedom Fund