GBV :DISABILITY CHALLENGES

Volunteers like me work has so many challenges but if one has passion for it one enjoys and never tire in serving my/our Community,

Today, I was woken up at 6.00am by mum Shalon, she called me on phone. There was no greetings, she told me Teresa!!! they have done it again!! I waited for her to explain. She asked me "remind me when ine is raped which kind of paper does one put the underwear? I reminded her u put them in a Kirk paper not a plastic one.

She informed me that she had gone to her home reserve where she was born and when she came back at 5.30 in the Morning she found Shalon was raped by a nearby church Watchman. Their buses travels for more that 8hrs from reserve to her home in the Slum where they live with Shalon.

So. I asked her not to worry, I assured her that I will call the 24hrs MSF ambulance that I normally call when defiliment, sodomy Gender Based Violence occur in my Community. I called the ambulance, directed them where to meet us at the Administrative Chiefs Office. They are familiar with the place they come often for victims of such cases. They take them to their clinic where they are given free transport, medication then the report p3 is taken to the nearest Police where the rapist is taken summoned and taken to cell. later to Court.

The First time Shalon was defiled was about 3yrs back, a family man took advantage of her she is retarded so he defiled her. So when the neighbours noticed she was pregnant. They asked her who slept with her, she does not know how to talk properly so she took them to the mans house. The man denied and said that he normally sees her with other youth. Shalon was taken to the homes of all of them but she showed the carpet of that man where the act was done,

So, because am the one who volunteers to assist the disabled. they called me. I took the case to the Chief where the family man was summoned. The Shalons mother, the sister, myself and the chief listened to the man and shalon. Shalon narrated everything the man had sex with her often. The man denied and was warned he was taken to police cells. He was told he will meet all the Hospital bills expenses of the child upkeep. Shalon gave birth, she did not know how/when to breast feed the kid. When the kid started to eat fruits and then food. When she was left to feed the kid, Shalon ate the food instead of feeding her kid. After one year the kid was taken ill was admitted at a National Hospital.

The kid was critically sick she died. Shalons mother called relatives to contribute fot the burial expenses.

They were meeting at her sisters place because the mother lives in the Slums one roomed shanty. So, when they went to sleep, others went to borrow places to sleep. Imagine One of the Cousins made his way to where shalon was and raoed her.. The mother was so frustrated reported to me she did not know where to start because the case was so sensitive it was a relative who did it. The relative was taken to the Police cellsI. I called the MSF Ambulance they came and gave her free medication.

So the Mother was requesting me to look for a home rescue centre where Shalon could go there for good and the mother would be going to visit her. Shalons mother has never neglected Shalon, but men time her when she goes to the market they go to Shalon and cheat her,

Those cases retarded disabled children who are neglected by their parents are so many so we need a rescue centre for those retarded, marginalised vulnerable families.

I have to stop to there because The Cyber man want to go home