"Resilience Reclaimed: A Survivor's Journey to Empowerment"

In the shadows of adversity for 7years, I found the strength to rise again from trauma. As a survivor of assault I faced darkness that threatened to consume me. It was an afternoon engraved in my memory, An afternoon I wished I could erase from my memory and my existence. As much as I try to erase, the memory remains, haunting day and night. The pain of the pass enveloped my soul, leaving me broken and lonely because I never had the courage to share my story to anyone. But within me a flicker of hope remained. With each passing day I reclaimed pieces of myself, fragment of strength and courage. As it wasn’t enough, In my community oh I watched young girls becoming brides. They were been robbed of their innocence, forced in to marriages which scattered their dreams . They were deprived of their sexual and reproductive rights and their rights to Education.

Witnessing their plight and my then situation ignited a fire within me. I sought refuge in the embrace of love ones especially my mother and the world that still held so much for me. I then discovered the true power in me. The power to rewrite my story in my own terms. I refused to be defined by the horror of my past, choosing instead to embrace my journey with courage and conviction. With the support of my mother and others I trusted, I began to find a voice that has been silenced for too long. I spoke out against the culture of silence and shame the perpetuated sexual violence and also vowed to be the voice of the young girls and women in my community, and their advocate for change.

Through my advocacy work, I have become a beacon of hope to others who have walked similar paths, showing them the healing was possible and that they were not alone. Today, I stand tall: a survivor turned an advocate, a warrior for justice/equality and empowerment. My journey is one of triumph over adversity, of resilience reclaimed, empowerment embraced and a reminder that even in the darkest of time they is still hope.