I AM A RAPE SURVIVOR, NOT A VICTIM!!

Six years ago I got raped! This occurred at what was suppose to be at secure environment (at school to be precise) and all I could say then was; dreams which seemed to be coming true were shattered within a blink of an eye. This incident was never known till this point of sharing it with you. Perhaps I was too alarmed even confused. "Who would believe me?" I pondered in my thoughts, but, regardless of how I was feeling, the main reason which prompt my silence is that I was (and still) uncomfortable of how people would claim me as being a victim. I asked myself, "who is going to claim my survivorhood instead of my victimhood?" What happened to me can be viewed from many aspects. My story is one of forgiveness Claiming your worth Letting go of past incidents and holding on to the hope of tomorrow or however you might perceive it. What I learned from this experience might sound like a cliche but it's actually the truth. 1. I took 6 years to break the silence and forgive whereas I was oblivious to the fact that; forgiving your perpetrator will be like taking off a painful pair of shoes after walking in them the entire day. I don't know the anything about the two male persons who took away my innocence, but I know that nothing weighs heavily upon progress than a heart filled with grudges. Many are trapped in the prison of grudges due to people who have caused their lives to be a living hell. Grudges rob you of your sanity as you approach different stops of your life. 2. Letting go means I can look towards my future and new possibilities, hence rape is not me but it happened to me. Sipho Mnyakeni says: "my sisters, you are still in line for your personal greatness Seize it, Your future depends on you, Size it, Self-pitying is self destructive, Cease it, As the incident seeks to finish you Your will to survive will sustain you You are not defined by it You are greater than that ; I wish you could see what I see in your eyes, Hope lives, The future is safe, You are still in line for greatness SEIZE IT! Turn to the mental field of your youth Play again dream again believe again live again" 3. If you are still breathing then God hasn't given up on you. Your occupation is to persevere and your promotion will be victory. We all have the ability to see the brighter picture in our dark experiences. Break the silence and claim your survivorhood. This article is for all those women who have been denied the platform to say: "I was raped!" I know you. I feel you. I, too, was raped. And rape is NOT us. It just happened to us! By Reitumetse Mokhoantle