About the founders

Three organisations. One shared purpose.

Break Free was born when The Jessica Project, Project Salama and Empowera came together, each bringing lived experience, specialist expertise and a refusal to accept that violence against women and girls is inevitable.

The Jessica Project

Priya Dawkins

Founder, The Jessica Project

Priya founded The Jessica Project so that every survivor is believed and has the chance to heal. She brings the heartbeat of Break Free: making sure the people who have lived it are not just heard, but lead.

The Jessica Project is a survivor-led national organisation aiming to tackle violence against women and girls through three pillars: peer support, advocacy and education. It supports anyone impacted by domestic abuse or sexual violence in a way that is empowering, holistic and trauma-informed, offering free, confidential one-to-one peer support, survivor-led groups (online Circle groups and in-person Chai and Chat), safety planning and clear guidance on rights and options. Because the team has lived it too, they walk beside survivors and help them reclaim their voice.

thejessicaproject.co.uk

Project Salama

Jacqueline Mukono

Founder, Project Salama

Jacqueline founded Project Salama so that everyone affected by abuse is seen, heard and supported, whatever their background, language or culture. She brings deep expertise in culturally competent, trauma-informed care.

Salama means 'safe' in Swahili. Project Salama is a national, survivor-led domestic abuse charity supporting victim-survivors and their families after domestic and sexual abuse. Its support is safe, confidential, culturally sensitive and faith-aware, offered in 16+ languages, with 2,500+ people supported so far. It offers emotional and practical support, safety planning, housing help, one-to-one advocacy and recovery programmes, with particular expertise in ethnic minority communities and post-separation abuse.

projectsalama.co.uk

Empowera

Raj Hira

Founder & CEO, Empowera

Raj is an experienced Public Health Specialist trained in mindset coaching, behaviour change, public mental health and trauma-informed practice. Empowera was born from her own lived experience as a solo parent, and that journey fuels everything she does.

Empowera is a socially driven organisation in Luton combining lived experience, academic insight and professional expertise. Through three pillars, Empower, Educate and Elevate, it supports solo parents, delivers specialist training in post-separation abuse, public health, mental health and suicide prevention, and offers consultancy that changes systems from within.

empowera.org

Our shared values

Survivor-led

Lived experience shapes every decision we make.

Culturally competent

We reach every community, in every language.

Trauma-informed

Safety, choice and dignity throughout the day.

Systems change

We bring decision-makers into the room to act.