Yolanthe Cabau’s Free a Girl: Fighting Global Child Sex Trafficking and Rescuing Vulnerable Girls

You may know Yolanthe Cabau from her Netflix reality show Yolanthe, but she is also the passionate founder of Free a Girl, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing young girls from sex trafficking worldwide. Since its launch in 2008, Free a Girl has saved over 8,500 children and helped bring 2,300 traffickers to justice.

At a recent event held at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, Cabau shared her personal story of growing up in an unsafe household and fleeing from Spain to Holland due to her father’s drug addiction. This difficult childhood inspired her lifelong mission to protect vulnerable children who often remain unseen and unheard.

The audience witnessed powerful undercover footage of Cabau participating in a real-life rescue operation in Kathmandu, Nepal. Posing as a tourist at a nightclub, she covertly approached underage girls trapped in sex trafficking rings. These girls were then handed over to police and enrolled in Free a Girl’s School for Justice program, which offers rehabilitation, education, and support.

Joined by Lara Lessing, director of Free a Girl USA, and Lane Terzieff, founder of UNIT-E, Cabau discussed the realities of child trafficking and her decision to start the organization. On her first rescue mission at age 22, she wore a hidden camera and confronted traffickers who exploited children as young as 4 or 5 years old. The experience deeply affected her and solidified her commitment to fighting this global crisis.

The event was attended by celebrities including Jaime King, Tara Reid, Jason Ritter, and others who support Free a Girl’s mission. Terzieff highlighted how traffickers prey on impoverished families, luring children away with false promises of better jobs and education, only to trap them in horrific exploitation.

Cabau emphasized the importance of aftercare for rescued children, explaining that Free a Girl runs educational programs where survivors use theater to raise awareness and prevent further trafficking in vulnerable communities.

With an estimated 2 million children currently exploited worldwide, Free a Girl expanded to the U.S. in 2021 to raise global awareness and take coordinated action against child sexual exploitation. Lessing encouraged everyone to be a voice for the voiceless by donating, spreading the message, and supporting rescue efforts.

Terzieff reminded attendees that turning toward painful realities with compassion is the first step toward meaningful change.

To support Free a Girl’s vital work, donations can be made through their official channels.