FINDING MY VOICE, LIVING MY DREAM: MY WEALTH

It was a childhood dream to help and be there for women facing domestic and sexual violence. I grew up in a big extended family where we have 12 nuclear families living in the same big building. As a child I witness several maltreatment of women as my uncles many times would beat their wives with bruises all over their bodies. The sad thing was that at the end, these women would still be asked by the elders to apologize to their husband to forgive them. I was always depressed whenever this happened but I dare not talk or condemn this act because if I do my mother and I would be sent to the street and never to return to the house. 

When I was growing up my uncle keep telling my father not to send me to school and he should send me to go and learn a trade because as a woman I will soon end up in the kitchen of a man. I was so lucky that my father refused to listen to these advice of his brother. He was always telling them that you have boys and I have only girls, if I don't send my own girls to school, is it your own boys that will care for me when I am old. This is the kind of environment I grew up, an environment of zero respect for women and baby girl. 

There it has always been my dream that one day, I will grow up and I will be able to speak against violence against women in my community. This dream remain dream until 2009 when I sign up in World Pulse Voice of our Future Correspondence and I became the award winner to attend Empowerment Institute. Since then my voice came up and was never silent again till today. In fact my voice continue to be more and more louder and powerful to the point that no one could silent it again. 

I am also now living my dream of many years to be voice for the oppressed. This is a great wealth for me. How do I quantify in terms of money the joy of about 4000 women and girls that I have helped to find their voices and living their dreams. The radiant faces that greeted me whenever I visit the communities that I have worked to see the women that have gone through the empowerment workshops and awareness campaign on violence against women. I feel like a queen with billions of dollars in her account.

The joy of these women and girls keep radiating in my life and I feel that I have not come to this world in vain. Thanks to my sister Jensine, the dreamer that brought my own dream to a reality. One click! My voice came out powerfuly, one click! I become a voice to be recon with in the society, one click, My dream was fulfilled!!