Friend, 

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 like green veggies from mountains, tree leaves, and tree barks. Sometimes even mice that we caught. 

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. . . The food situation was very bad. 

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

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

Have you ever felt your stomach be empty and hurt for days at a time?

That’s normal for regular citizens in North Korea. 

I lived through the true horrors of communism, of seeing my family starve to death. And I want to make sure that never happens in America.

I want to share my story through the Dissident Project and show high school students how lucky they are to live in a free country and how dangerous authoritarianism can be. 

 I am 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.

I’ve set a goal to reach 10,000 students with the stories of communism told by survivors. 

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

Here’s just a sample of what these students will hear:
 

"Grace Jo's presentation was both moving and thought-provoking. When she was finished speaking, a group of juniors and seniors surrounded her, asking her questions for so long we had to (reluctantly) send them off to their next class." 
— Bruce Rottman from Brookfield Academy

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 >>>

But I’m still one of the lucky ones.

I tried to escape many times, but each time, my family and I 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 Dissident Project has already told the horrors of communism in several schools since our founding this year.
 

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. 

And I’m not the only speaker. We have speakers from Venezuela, Hong Kong, and Eritrea. 

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

Can you give a gift to the Dissident Program and help speakers like me share our stories with over 10,000 students? Click any button to send your donation.
 

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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.