#HelplineForKids

It was at midnight, I was sleeping in my room. When I noticed something very heavy on me. I opened my eyes only to see the pastor that came to spend the night in our house on me.  Confused, I wanted to scream but I was restrained by him. I was able to get away from him, I then went to my mum room to report the incident. My late mum, a poor widow consoled me and in her exact words she said “don’t worry my child, God will judge him” and that was it! A poor widow, that was the best she could do! Who could she have reported to?

I was just 12 years old.

My story is not uncommon, this is the story of thousands if not millions of children currently being sexually abused and so many adults already damaged by this act. According to WHO, 1 in 2 children has experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in the past year. A recent study by David et al., 2018 in the African Health Sciences Journal reported that 25.7% of children have experienced sexual abuse and only 34% of the cases are reported.  55% of child sexual abuse assailant are household members or neighbour and 55% of them have been suspected of committing sexual abuse in the past (Bugaje et al., 2012). Cases of child sexual abuse reported to family members are not well handled depriving the child of justice and allowing the assailant to further perpetuate their evil. CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IS HIGHLY UNDERREPORTED. This is because of this disturbing truth that there is NO HELPLINE NUMBER for children that are sexually abused.

The recent news about a popular movie actor alleged to have abused a child of 7 years for 8 years has reopened the scars trying to heal. The news is sickening, heartrending and should not be happening!

It is now my goal to create a safe space for children who are experiencing sexual abuse or struggling with the damage already caused by been sexual abused and invoke a sense of will within the government to address sexual abuse issues by first providing a prompt helpline and justly prosecuting offenders.

Sign my petition asking the Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development and Minister for Education at the National and State level to: 

-      Launch helpline numbers for child sexual abuse prevention. 

-      Mandate Primary and Secondary school to have this number boldly written for all school children to see.

-      Mandate teachers to report suspected child sexual abuse cases to these numbers

Join me and take a #StandAgainstChildSexualAbuse to save a life.

#HelplineForKid