Sexual abuse awareness community fun day for I am voices

To people all over the world, April fourteenth is just like any other day, but hey! It was Sexual abuse International awareness day, and I am voices international organized a community fun day, both in the US and Nigeria, to raise awareness, and to admonish survivors to speak out.

About I am voices

 It is an organization, birth to life by Megan Manigault. I am Titilayo Oladimeji, the Branch Ambassador from Nigeria.

How the day went down;

                We got disappointed with the mini park which was billed to host us. We had to look for an alternative venue instead. This however came in form of the reception of a wedding I was initially billed to attend. 

All of these were to make the dream of having to make the sexual awareness community fun day, a reality. Although we lost a few guests initially billed to attend owing to a shift in the venue, but the joy is in the fact that we gained the listening ears of the wedding guests, which wasn’t a bad one afteral.

Major agenda

For almost an hour, the kids were lectured by me, and another volunteer who seemed vast on the topic, on how to be conscious of their body, and that they have to speak out when being abused. 

The adults too were told to pay attention to custodian of their kids. To have a positive mindset to survivors (never to be referred to as victims). Survivors should be able to live a life devoid of criticisms, stigmatization or blames nor neglect.

Side attractions

The kids had a few munchies to ensure we got their undiluted attention, and then a few games to keep them refreshed. There was a dancing competition to further brighten up the day, and then, ‘signs’ were displayed for the camera, as solidarity to the cause.

The Nigerian community did had fun though, in our own little way (being our first public outing), while we hope to rebrand, plan and come up with a bigger event soon.

Here goes the mission

 I am voices international, has a mission to equip survivors of sexual abuse and parents with education, support and empowerment and resources within the low country. Aims to decrease sexual abuse occurrences, while increasing the knowledge of the community and raising awareness through partners and volunteers and programs’

Points to note

In this part of the world especially, I am voices is like a long awaited succor to sexual abuse survivors. Not much attention is given to these category of people, and despite the psychological trauma and social reclusion that oftentimes accompanies being abused, they aren’t availed a listening ear, let alone accepted, or given the needed succor. And since most abusers usually come in form of guardians, survivors are forced to keep ‘mum’ and live with the pains all their lives.

It is not just going to be a onetime community awareness fun day, it has to be constantly carried out, because the stigmatization has to stop too.

Join us in the fight.

Send me a mail on titipetral482@gmail.com