My experience paving a straight path for the girl child in my community

My story is about myself, violations and the work I now do to see that other young girls do not fall prey and even if they do they should NEVER be mute.

Pedmia Shatu Tita is my name a journalist from Bamenda NWR of Cameroon. I lost my dad when I was 4 due to the political tension that was in the country in 1992, he was actually burnt in the house. I lived with my mum, siblings and cousins. I had this male cousin who will always come when I am back from school while I am asleep in the afternoon, he will cuddle my thighs with his penis and I will wake up to find a slippery whitish substance (sperms). I saw him more than 3thrice and he insisted I told no one and I kept quite. Sometime later he moved out of the house I was 6years old. In my mind I tried figuring out what it was all about to no avail. My mother had never sat me down to caution me or chat with me on any issues as such. 

Growing up I shared this story with no one in my primary school days till my secondary school days. Some friends laughed, others furiously wanted to face him I didn't know his whereabout. After University, I came out as a journalist, I have worked for 7years now and I have seen the changing times how men go as far as violating 1year old babies, men rape lactating mother's, and so on. I decided to fights by joining the advocacy againg GBV. Aside my effort working with other organizations like Community Initiative for Sustainable development COMINSUD, Medecin du Monde, CIPCRE, I have an initiative where I hold talks by the fire side with girl children, young girls and women where we talk about these issues. I start telling them as early as 4years old, no body touches your vulva, breast, tighs, lips, buttocks, because those parts are private and to be touched just by you. I make them understand that should these parts be touched whether by your daddy, mum, aunty, uncle, friends, report it to me. I will not just take reports and sit i will do referral. I have a 5year old kid and talk to her and her peers everytime about this issue.

As a Journalist I equally do sensitization for mother's to break the barrier in considering certain issues as taboo subjects for if we don't teach our children, the world will do it wrongly for us. 

This is my little story and I hope we all take the obligation to be one another's keeper.

Pedmia Shatu Tita