Janet's Story
When I was eight years old, I lost my mother. On the day of her funeral, a close family friend assaulted me while supposedly trying to comfort me. He claimed he was preparing me for life ahead. I kept this traumatic experience to myself for 17 years, not even telling my sister, with whom I was very close at the time.
I didn’t fully understand how wrong it was, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t be believed and that my sister wouldn’t support me because the perpetrator was her friend and they sang together in the church choir.
The incident took a toll on my mental well-being, leading to low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. I constantly doubted my self-worth and believed nobody would love me because I didn’t consider myself beautiful enough. My academic performance suffered, and I felt I would never achieve anything worthwhile.
After confiding in a close friend, I received help from an online coach who assisted me in slowly rebuilding my self-belief. I realised the impact I could have by using this process to help other girls in my community who might be facing similar struggles without disclosing their identities. This inspired the creation of the Totya Platform. “Totya” is a Luganda word meaning “Fear Not!”
As a registered Social Worker in Uganda, I use my personal experience as a survivor to support others affected by sexual violence. I encourage survivors to #BreakTheSilence and share their stories. Additionally, as the Executive Director of Totya Platform, I work to empower and heal those impacted by sexual violence.
