Fellow American,

I grew Have you ever felt your stomach empty and hurt for days at a time? I grew up in North Korea in the 90s during one of the world’s worst famines.

During that time, I only ate about 1 meal a week — a little rice, mostly wild vegetables from the mountains, tree leaves, and tree barks. Sometimes, even mice that we caught. 

The food situation was very bad. In 1998, my grandmother and younger brothers all passed away because of starvation. My youngest brother starved to death when he was only 2 months old. 

My younger brother and I were starved for 10 days straight. We only drank cold water because there was no food we could find.

And my father was tortured and starved to death. He passed away when North Korean agents transferred him from a countryside detention center to a city detention center for a court trial. 

His “crime” was only that he left his country in search of food for his family. 

The sad part is that my experience is normal for regular citizens in North Korea. 

I am Grace Jo, a speaker with the Dissident Project. The Dissident Project brings survivors of authoritarian socialist countries to high schools around the United States to tell them about our experiences.

Fellow American, can you donate $10, $35, $50, or any amount to help me speak to high school students? Click here to send your support >>>

I’m actually one of the lucky ones.

My family tried to escape many times, but each time, we were repatriated to North Korea by the Chinese government and imprisoned upon our return.

I finally escaped for good in 2006, but not without help. Pastor Philip Buck bribed North Korean agents with $10,000 to let me, my mother, and my sister (my only remaining family members) leave for China. 

The true horrors of communism are responsible for my family starving to death because of the actions of a totalitarian government. 

I want to make sure that never happens in America.

By sharing my story with high school students, I can show them how lucky they are to live in a free country. That’s why we’ve set a goal to raise $10,000 this month to help Dissident Project speakers share their stories with students. 

Can you give a gift to the Dissident Program before the end of the month? Click any button to send your donation.
 

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Very few Americans have probably had the chance to meet someone from North Korea, much less have the opportunity to talk with them and ask questions.

The Dissident Project gives high school students a rare, first-hand account of what happens inside an actual oppressive state like North Korea. 

I’ve also had the opportunity to share my story on Fox News and other major media outlets.

Your generous donation can help me give Americans a new perspective and teach them to respect, protect, and enjoy the freedom we have in this country. 

Can you help students hear what over 25 MILLION people who are still trapped inside North Korea are living through? Click here to send a gift of $10, $35, $50, or any amount >>>
 

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Thank you, 


Grace Jo


 

The Dissident Project is a program of Young Voices, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged via email receipt. Donations made to the Dissident Project will be spent exclusively on that program.