Four years already!
Forever to go! We are still in the business of touching lives of young girls and doing our best to make them smile.
Here's a short story/testimony of one of us, it delights our heart to see the growth and strength of this young lady:
*A part of my Experience*
Growing up in a family where there is violence or abuse can make a person think that is the right way or the only way for family members to treat each other. Somebody who has only known an abusive relationship might mistakenly think that hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, or angry name-calling are perfectly normal ways to treat someone when you're mad.
Seeing my father especially treat us in abusive ways, treat and torture my mother in a very bad and grotesque manner was very traumatizing for us most especially on my part.
I didn't have any form of esteem because my father constantly reminded us (four girls) that we were nothing and that we would end up getting pregnant outside wedlock and so many verbal abuses.
It may sound strange, but people sometimes have trouble recognizing that they are being abused. Recognizing abuse may be especially difficult for someone who has lived with it for many years. A person might think that it's just the way things are and that there's nothing that can be done. People who are abused might mistakenly think that it's their fault for not doing what their parents tell them, breaking rules, or not living up to someone's expectations.
What about physical abuse?
Physical abuse is often the most easily recognized form of abuse. Physical abuse can be any kind of hitting, shaking, burning, pinching, biting, choking, throwing, beating, and other actions that cause physical injury, leave marks, or cause pain.
We were constantly beaten at the slightest provocations. My father beats us with rods, cutlass, fan belts, hot iron and so many pain inflicting objects other than canes which made us more rebellious than disciplined.
Today, I appreciate God and so many other people that have helped me so far in this journey. I'm a work in progress, I'm better than yesterday and growing daily to becoming the best version of myself.
We hope to do more this year and the many more years to come.
We appreciate your support, love and donations towards the Girl Child Initiative. We do not take you for granted.
Happy New Year World!
Love,
Olufunke Olabode
The Initiator @TheGirlChildInitiative
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