Make It Happen:

A New Story of Belonging

For many of us we assume the free world is one where basic human rights are a given. Sadly in many parts of the world this simply isn't true. There are parts of the world where words like justice or freedom have no literal translation - at least not for women or children where it is acceptable to be raped of power. Where violence, sexual abuse, incest and abandonment are a normal part of a silent and lethal cultural narrative. It is time for a new story, and today there is no other choice but to ‘make it happen’.

In this presentation, Annastacia takes the audience on a deeply personal journey back to the heartland of her native home in Kenya. In 2017 she returned to Kenya on a mission to adopt a child. In going on that journey she was exposed to the corruption of the Kenyan child welfare system and was exposed to the exploitation of both women and children. What was so shocking was the level of cultural acceptance around abuse of children and women. As a result, Annastacia founded Make It Happen, an organisation on a mission to advocate for the rights of children who are being abused, exploited or put at risk within family homes or within the public system.

Audiences will walk away from this presentation deeply moved by a story of pain that has been transformed into a courageous purpose. A personal story of a woman who is searching for one child to call her own, is now on a mission to save many. This is a story that deeply highlights the need for the world to set a global standard with regards to basic human rights, with a focus on the protection of children. After All the stories we tell ourselves, especially in cultures where exploitation is rife, are the stories that change the world.