KarunaNews Story

As the founder of U.K. nonprofit The Esther Project, Lianne Kirkman’s work to provide refuge, recovery, and rehabilitation to women experiencing homelessness has been at the forefront of her career for over a decade. But this year, in an effort to truly learn more about the lived experiences of the people her organization serves, Kirkman set off on a 10-stop tour across the country, meeting with other shelters and nonprofits — and sleeping on the street for 10 nights in a row. Along her stops, Kirkman met with other nonprofits working to specifically support women facing abuse, addiction, and homelessness. “I want to see what's working for them in the areas of counseling, employability, homelessness, and women in and out of the criminal justice system,” she told The BBC. “There are some great projects out there.” “These amazing women’s centers we are visiting are clearly showing us what works and how to get it right,” Kirkman wrote on Facebook. “For the last 10 years of running a mixed-gender charity, I know, even more so now, that we need to do so much more for women.”