About Free a Girl.
In 2008, Free a Girl was founded in the Netherlands with a clear mission: to rescue children from sexual exploitation and fight for justice. Shocked by the scale of the issue and the lack of action, the founders took a stand—committed to end sexual exploitation of children- by rescuing as many children as possible and ensuring a safer future for them.
What started as a local initiative quickly grew into a powerful global movement. Today, through Free a Girl Global, the team continue their fight worldwide, working across multiple countries to rescue victims, prosecute perpetrators, and prevent exploitation. Their unwavering commitment remains the same: freedom, justice, and protection for every child.
Our
Founders
Yolanthe Cabau
Founder
In 2008, we founded Free a Girl after an undercover mission in India changed my life forever. I witnessed young children being sold to sex tourists and decided then and there that it would become my life’s mission to stop this. Since then, we have dedicated ourselves—wholeheartedly—to rescuing children from sexual exploitation.
We noticed there was too little attention given to real rescue work: teams who physically free children from the hands of their exploiters. Our work has taken us to countries such as India, Nepal, Thailand, and Brazil. We set up undercover operations ourselves and then place the victims in our shelters. Every rescue, every child that is given a future again, gives us the strength to continue.
This is not a battle we can fight alone. Thanks to the support of so many people, we can truly make a difference together. We must keep fighting until every child receives the freedom they deserve.
Arjan Erkel
Founder
I wanted to see the world. Help people. Working for Doctors Without Borders was my dream. Until that night in Dagestan… Three armed men abruptly ended that dream. I was kidnapped and held for 607 days in a dark underground cellar. I had no freedom, no future, only the question whether today would be my last.”
My family, friends, and many others fought for my freedom. When I finally came home, that second chance changed everything. I wanted to give back, to fight for others the way people had fought for me. That’s how Free a Girl began. Freedom is not a given. But if you receive it, you can use it to help others. That’s what I try to do every day: free girls from sexual exploitation and give them a new future.
Evelien Holsken
Founder
From a young age, I felt a strong urge to fight injustice. At 35, I read an article about children—some as young as 9—being kept in cages in brothels. That knowledge made me sick, but also sparked a deep determination to act. Someone had to do something—and I realized that someone could be me.
Two years later, we founded Free a Girl. We didn’t have a detailed plan, just unshakable drive and belief in change. Today, we have rescued over 8,500 children, many of whom have been reunited with their families. Every child rescued proves our mission matters. It is never just a drop in the ocean. Together, we keep fighting for the freedom and happiness of children worldwide.
Roelof van Laar
Founder
My passion for human rights and child protection led me to co-found Free a Girl in 2008. As director of the organization, I dedicated myself to rescuing children from sexual exploitation. My political engagement brought me to the municipal council of Leiden and later to the Dutch Parliament for the Labour Party (PvdA), where I continued advocating for children’s rights and international development.
Later, I started the Children’s Rights Challenge Foundation, through which I defend children’s rights globally via strategic partnerships and direct support. Freedom and safety for children around the world remain my core motivations, and I continue working daily to make these ideals a reality.