Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2019 | Page 107

of my children; it would be no
different than me saying to
the abusers - I agree with your
predation.
(1) To help provide feminine
hygiene products to women
who cannot afford it; and
(2) To help bring much needed
awareness to the plight of the
About whether her
many who suffer childhood
emotional scars have
sexual abuse. It was born out of
totally healed Healing
a need to help restore dignity to
sadly is not a destination
those affected by sexual abuse.
but a lifelong journey with
Through education, advocacy
roadblocks and setbacks,
and access to resources, GMD
detours and delays. Once I
strives to build awareness
learned that I was able to really of the pervasiveness of CSA,
start my journey, with the full
to prevent predation, and to
realization that I won’t just wake provide access to much needed
up one day and be cured of the resources to help rehabilitate
nightmares, cold sweats, self-
those already abused.
doubt, depression, anxiety and
all the shackles that come with About her CSA work in
CSA. I still have triggers that
Jamaica First, I’m extremely
bring memories and flashbacks grateful there are now
flooding, sometimes with
organizations like the Office of
such force it’s like I’m reliving
the Children’s Advocate (OCA)
the abuse afresh. I must say
in Jamaica, and though I wish it
though, that with the help of
and others were around during
years of therapy, I have learned my childhood, I’m happy and
to manage the effects, making
relieved they are there now.
them less severe, but they
And I count it a blessing to be
lurk just below the surface,
able to work with the OCA in
just waiting to devour. So,
helping to humanize CSA.
for me it’s less of a question
of whether lingering effects
Statistics can be cold, abstract,
impede healing but more how
unmoving and unrelatable, so
will these effects manifest, and
when given the opportunity
most important, how I deal with to work with organizations like
them - not if, but when they do the OCA in helping to give a
surface.
voice and a face to victims it is
so gratifying. Equally gratifying
About her charity, Give
is being able to host retreats for
Me Dignity I founded Give
girls who have been sexually
Me Dignity (GMD) as a dual-
abused, introducing them to
mission organization:
a community of girls who also
sadly know the pain of CSA.
Because CSA is such an isolating
experience, bringing together
girls helps let them know they
are not alone, and though
we suffer in silence, we most
definitely heal together. Besides
working with NGOs, homes and
individuals in Jamaica, I’ve done
similar work in Miami where
I live, as well as other islands,
including St. Eustatius. Most
important though, is lending
my voice wherever possible
to reach as many people as
possible in helping to lift the
darkness, and to humanize
survivors, making them more
than numbers in a report or
“that girl” people point at in
disgust. For me it’s about macro
awareness, not familial gossip.
About the types of
support her charity seeks/
accepts as it continues
its work in this field Sadly,
we can never have enough
resources to equal the level of
pervasiveness of this scourge.
That being said, we can’t wait
until we think we have enough
and must start, sometimes with
nothing but our eagerness to
help. We need financial support,
and perhaps just as important,
we need people to be mentors,
role models and support. For
those who have reclaimed
their voice, we would love to
have them join us in helping