The fact that so many women and their children are abused are beyond shocking. The more statistics I gobble up, the worse everything seems, and then it dawns on us that the stats are wrong; this is even worse than what we read. Way worse! Fear, poor reporting, poor policing and hopelessness see the numbers smaller than they should be. Would we react differently if we could see the real truth? Would it change anything or are we beyond being helped?
I’ve often read the ‘starfish’ story and smiled, and sometimes also scoffed. It’s really hard to imagine that this monster called ‘Women Abuse’ could ever be tamed, but I’ve come to realise that 1 woman, or 1 child rescued from the clutches of abuse, can be the start of a new story. It can be a better story, one with the kind of ending any family would hope for. That can be a reality; not just in our wildest dreams, or the pages of a fairy tale. There is hope; real honest-to-goodness help from a huge number of caring people and their organisations that want to see a whole lot of 1’s turned into a multitude; a multitude of rescued people with a new lease on life, a life that is now worth living.
Representing one of the many organisations that have been established to rescue women and their children, is Angela, from Sisters Inc. near Cape Town, South Africa. Angela shares the steps to take, once you’ve removed yourself from the abusive relationship; where and how to find help, and what to expect from a ‘safe house’.
If you know of someone who has successfully ‘moved on’ or you have shown bravery in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation, please share your story in the comment section below. You might inspire and instill hope in someone that simply needs a push in the right direction.