Transcript
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Welcome to the A World of Difference
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podcast. I'm Lori Adams Brown and this is.
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A podcast for those who are different. And
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want to make a difference. I am so
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excited. If you have not heard of my.
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Guest today, you are going to be. Blown
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away by this woman. She's just an
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outstanding human being and I'm thrilled
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to have Lydia Matioli on the show today.
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She has a new book that's being released
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and Lydia is just incredibly passionate
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about building platforms for abuse
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survivors and advocates to be leaders in
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their own communities. She loves creating
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sustainable solutions that prevent and
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respond to sexual violence and within
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different communities. She was born and
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raised in Kibera, which is Africa's
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largest slum, and Lydia has herself
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firsthand experienced the effects of
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sexual violence. Also how the lack of
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education and poverty plays into all of
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this. She's experienced that firsthand and
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so now she works with Freely and Hope as
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the programs and Partnerships director and
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so she gets to design and implement
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programs that really exemplify some of the
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best practices for ending the cycle of
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sexual violence that we often see. Lydia
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is smart. She graduated with Bachelor of
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Arts in Gender, Women and Development
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Studies and has over eight years
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experience in program design and community
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outreach. So she has so much knowledge and
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wisdom. But she's the author of a book
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that she just released called Pendo's
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Power. It's a children's book that's
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illustrated and it helps children
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recognize and report sexual abuse. So this
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book is really resonating with a lot of
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people. She recently did a book release
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here in the San Francisco Bay area. And
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just her voice, her story, her ability to
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communicate it, and her desire and work to
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help children and parents and caregivers
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and teachers and people in faith
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institutions and communities understand
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how to have conversations with children
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and how to help them see their own power.
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To understand consent, understand that
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they can say no, understand their power to
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not be in situations that make them feel
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unsafe, and giving power to children again
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to understand what boundaries are right.
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So this was her book is all about when
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she's not working. You can find her
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dancing to Afrobeat with her three year
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old daughter and trying out new recipes as
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well. And so I love that she's bringing
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all of herself into this conversation
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today and we're going to go there. So this
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is your trigger warning. If this is
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something that would be too much for you
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today, it is okay to not listen. It is
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okay to take it in chunks. It is okay to
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just take long breaks and go for a walk
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and get some sunshine or take deep
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breaths. If you have experienced abuse of
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any kind and particular sexual abuse,
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yeah, listener discretion is advised.
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Also, the sponsor of this podcast is
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BetterHelp. So if you are somebody who has
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walked through abuse or walked through any
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trauma of any kind or just needs help from
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a professional to talk through some
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relational difficulties or stress or grief
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largely benefited from a therapist through
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BetterHelp who's helped me work through a
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lot of grounding techniques and somatic
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therapy, understanding how to just shake
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it off sometimes like we see the animals
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do. I've gone and sat near the lake near
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my house and watched ducks just kind of
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shake water off their back. All things
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that my therapist at BetterHelp has helped
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me to do to help my own body process some
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traumatic experiences in a workplace
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environment where I walk through some
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psychological and spiritual abuse and
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emotional and verbal abuse there. And so I
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know that some of you listening to this
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podcast have walked through that type of
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thing and if you're one of them, please
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to get 10% off your first month. So happy
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to bring to the show today and introduce
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to you somebody who is making a huge
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difference in the world. So let's give a
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very warm welcome today to Lydia Matioli.
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Hello, Lydia. And a very warm welcome to
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the World of Difference podcast today. And
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congratulations on your book release.
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Thank you. Thank you so much for having
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me. Well, it's very exciting. And we were
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connected by someone we both know. And I'm
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really excited to have this conversation
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today because not only are you somebody
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who's a survivor of some very difficult
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experiences, but you've also allowed those
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experiences to shape you into someone who
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wants to make an impact and help others in
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so many different ways. And our listeners
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all around the world really are all about
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that and so excited to sort of hear more
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about your background, some of the things
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you've walked through and why you ended up
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writing this book. But I guess my first
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question for you is tell us a little bit
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about your background. Who are you, Lydia
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Mattioli? And what is it about your
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background that makes you who you are
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today? Awesome. Again, thank you for
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having me. I'm super excited to have this
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conversation with you. So Lydia Matioli is
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a 29 year old. I am a mom to a beautiful
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three year old girl, and I currently lead
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programs at nonprofit called Freely Hope,
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which exists to end the cycle of sexual
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violence in Kenya and in Zambia. And just
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to share a little bit about my background,
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I was born and raised in Kibera, which is
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East Africa's largest slum. I think after
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soeto in South Africa, I think Kibera is
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next. It inhabits around 1 million plus
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people. And so all my life I was inside
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there, I was born in there with all these
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people. There's a lot of scarcity. The
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environment is not that friendly if you
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look at the sewer system, the chaos, if
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you look at the roads, the infrastructure,
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generally, it's just a mess. It's a place
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where there's not a lot of access to
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resources, a lot of access to
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opportunities. And the main thing that I
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grew up seeing a lot was violence. So let
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me just start by sharing my own story. So
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when I was five, we lived at a place where
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I don't know if you have an idea of Kibra,
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but let me paint the picture for you. So,
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like I said, there are so many houses and
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so close to each other, it's just like
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single rooms, very close to each other,
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and we would call them close. So you'd
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find like ten houses in 1 m² doors next to
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each other and that kind of stuff. And I
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feel like that is one of the reasons why
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we had a lot of violence happening.
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Because you're so close to each other in
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proximity, a lot of things are happening
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behind the shadows. So when I was five,
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there was this guy who was our neighbor.
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He was actually man of God. He was a
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pastor. This man kids used to love being
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around this guy a lot, a lot at that time,
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looking back now that I remember, I'm like
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so one time he called me into his shop and
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he started touching me inappropriately all
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over my body. And this almost escalated
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further, but then, thank goodness, my
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sister was looking for me to have lunch.
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And so my sister was calling out for my
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name outside, like, Lydia, Lydia. And then
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when the man had my sister, he stopped,
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grabbed a lollipop, gave it to me, and was
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like, I went out, met my sister. She
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looked concerned, but she didn't know what
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to ask or like, she didn't know what to
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tell me. I think I remember the only thing
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she asked me was like, what were you doing
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then? I was like, oh, uncle called me to
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give me a suite because I didn't even know
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what abuse was. I could not comprehend it.
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So, yeah, that was the end of that
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conversation between me and my sister. So
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pretty much growing up, I was exposed to
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sexual abuse in that way. Yeah. So when my
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sister found me, we didn't talk much about
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the situation, and yeah, we just left it
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at that. Moved on with life, like many
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other cases happening in Kibra. And then
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when I was 16 years old, my best friend
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was gang raped. We were in high school,
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and she was gang raped at the very same
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alley we used every day to go to school.
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Three men grabbed her and pulled her in my
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room and raped her. And because of the
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culture of silence that existed in Kiba,
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she didn't know whom to tell. And she
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tried talking to the dad. Like, when that
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happened, that same day when she went back
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home, she tried telling the dad, but the
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dad was just, like, shaming her and being,
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like, there with your boyfriend, and here
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you're trying to say that you've been
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raped. So she shut down. She completely
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shut down until she started getting side
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effects from the abuse. A couple of days
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later, she started having infections. Her
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skin started feeling itchy, like she got
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bad infections. And that's when she told
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me. And I was in high school. I didn't
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even know. What is this? Yes, we would
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hear about rape on TV here and there. We
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would hear stories. A girl was raped here.
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A girl was raped in this particular
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village. But we didn't know. No one told
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us how to respond or what to do. So when
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my friend told me that I couldn't think of
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I felt helpless, honestly. And so we told
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a teacher who helped us, who told us which
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hospital to go to. She did not even
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accompany us. She was just like, Go to
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this hospital. They'll help you. So my
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friend was treated, but that was it.
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Nothing. No counseling, no conversation
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after that. So that was a common trend
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that existed. Living in Kiba. I was
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surrounded by so much violence, and no one
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was holding anyone accountable. No one was
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talking about it. No one was asking the
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survivors, what's happening with you? How
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did you feel? And my friend was never the
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same after that experience. She was never,
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ever the same. And I think that is what
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inspired me to start having these
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conversations while I was in school. In
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high school, so started a girls club where
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all the girls could come and meet every
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Tuesday. And we would just vent. Like,
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nothing would happen afterwards, but we
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would just vent. This is happening to my
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home, since this is happening with my mom.
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She's being bitten every day. So we held
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space for a lot of stories within my
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school community. And as much as we didn't
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do anything about it, we felt relieved. I
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think just talking about it helped release
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some of the weight that came with holding
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all of these. And I like to say that is
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where my advocacy work began in high. So
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right after I graduated high school, I
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knew I wanted to do something along those
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lines. But again, in Kiba, once you're
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done with high school, that is it for your
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parents. They're like, We've done our
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best. So you figure out what you want to
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do next with your life. Yes, I wanted to
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go to college, but I didn't know how. I
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didn't have the means. So I had to figure
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out what to do at that time to be able to
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just pursue my dreams and to get by. So,
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yeah, I started looking for volunteer
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opportunities in Kiba. I got a chance to
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volunteer with a couple of local
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organizations, and this was in 2013, 2014,
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because I finished high school in 2012, so
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2013, I was volunteering 2014, the same.
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And the founder of the particular
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organization that I was volunteering in in
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2014 knew about my story. She knew about
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how passionate I was in matters ending
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sexual violence. And so he's the one who
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connected me to Freelan Hope, the
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organization that I serve with. Because at
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that time, Freely in Hope was giving
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academic scholarships to so, like. And you
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growing up in Cabera and having all those
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experiences, and now you're at Freely and
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Hope. Yeah. Tell us a little more about
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the organization's mission and some of
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these key initiatives you're involved in
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to combat this sexual. Freely and Hope is
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a nonprofit that works to end sexual
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violence in Kenya and Zambia. And how we
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do that is by providing academic
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scholarships to survivors of sexual
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violence. And these academic scholarships
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are very holistic in the sense that it's
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not just paying school fees. There's
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counseling happening just to combat all
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the mental health issues that come with
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trauma. The safe housing involved, where
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several occasions we've had to move the
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girls from the spaces where they live in,
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girls who are being abused by their dads,
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by their uncles, by people who are taking
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care of them. So we've had to move them to
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safe spaces. Then there's the legal aspect
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of it, where some of the survivors that
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come into the community have pending legal
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cases. And so, yeah, we have to find all
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the legal processes. Having the lawyers
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involved, following up with court cases,
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it's intense. And there's also mentorship
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involved because we want these girls to
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thrive in their calling because most of
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them, when they come into the community,
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they're like, I want to be a lawyer so
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that whatever happened to me cannot happen
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to anyone else. I want to be a doctor to
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support other survivors, all of that. And
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so in wanting to just nurture this desire
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and tap into these desires, there's a lot
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of leadership development that goes into
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this process. Just exposing them to spaces
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that will help them grow that desire,
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spaces that will give them an idea of what
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it means to work in a law firm, what it
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means to be an activist or an advocate in
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the community, all of that. And most
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importantly, I think, just having that
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community of belonging, interacting with
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other survivors, hearing their stories,
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how they overcame trauma, how they're
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doing in their healing journey, that plays
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a big role in helping survivors just get
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from that point of helplessness and
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despair to this place where they're taking
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their power back. Yeah, I know that there
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are so many things culturally in every
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culture around sexual violence that often
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ends in silencing of the survivors and
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centering, the one who the perpetrators,
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mostly because there's so many dynamics
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right there's the patriarchy, which often
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is in most cultures, we're dealing with
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not all of them. And that layer of just
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censoring a man and his voice and then
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either silencing or just diminishing the
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voice of a female survivor, especially a
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young girl, and then the victim blaming.
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So, yeah, explain maybe some of your own
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personal experience of observing that with
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yourself and your friends or how those
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dynamics are sort of tricky in the
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environment that people are trying to heal
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from. Oh, yeah, we've definitely had to
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deal with a lot of cultural mindsets that
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really perpetrate this issue of sexual
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abuse. And one of them said, Patrick, if
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you go into my communities right now and
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talk to the men, most of them feel like
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it's married to have sex with a woman
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because this is what they've grown up
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hearing. They do not understand the whole
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concept of mutual respect, asking for
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consent, mutual understanding before
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engaging in any sexual act, because their
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forefathers did that. Their forefathers
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believed they had right over women.
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They've seen their dads doing that. And so
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they themselves are also stepping into
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that generational trend. And so that is
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one of the biggest factors as to why
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sexual violence is happening. And the sad
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thing is that even the women have been
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conditioned to start believing in these
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retrogressive beliefs. So you'll find even
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women themselves feel, no, it's a man,
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whatever man says, I'm supposed to. If a
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man says that my dressing tempted them to
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commit sexual abuse, then it's true. So
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this cultural belief has been so deep to
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the point where even women themselves
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started believing it. And this really
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escalated cases of abuse in my communities
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personally, where I come from. And so even
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with Freely and Hope going into these
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communities through our outreach programs,
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we had to do a lot of conversations with
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the men, with the boys, to help shift this
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mindset so that they start understanding
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that, you know what? You do not have the
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right to have sex with a woman. A woman is
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a human being just like you, with the same
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rights, just like you. And so there's a
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lot of respect that needs to be there. You
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need to be mindful of what they say. So,
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yeah, that is part of the work that we've
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been doing to really push for that shift
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in mindset because that's where the root
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is. Honestly, that is the root cause of
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all of this violence that we're
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experiencing in Kiba, in Nairobi, in
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Kenya. Really? Yeah, it's so
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heartbreaking. And I think everywhere
401
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there are so many stereotypes that people
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00:20:30,822 --> 00:20:35,346
fall into and some of those are very even
403
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entrenched in certain faith communities.
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So you mentioned earlier that your abuser
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was a part of a faith community. And so,
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yeah, I would be interested to know, do
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you still identify as part of a faith
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community? And if so, has that journey
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been difficult for you in light of all of
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this? That's a very good question. Well,
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my experiences and I think working with
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survivors, of course, has really affected
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my interaction with the faith communities
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because trust me, most of the cases that
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I've had, a lot of perpetrators are faith
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leaders. And that kind of just affected
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how I connect with God through that
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community, honestly. So it's been so long
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since I went to church because every time
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I was in charge, I would battle with the
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thought that this man up here could be a
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hypocrite, this man up here could be one
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of the perpetrators. And I know it's not
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fair to have a blanket judgment and to
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have that bias over faith leaders, but I
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can't help it. It's part of the trauma
427
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that I have from my experience and from
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the experiences of people who are very
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close to me. So, yeah, my relationship is
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not the same. I struggle to be at church,
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I struggle to be in community with faith
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leaders. But I've also learned to find my
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own ways of connecting with God that do
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not necessarily involve me not being a
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charge. And I know I'll get there someday,
436
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but right now I am not at that point where
437
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I can just comfortably be at charge and
438
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commune with other believers the way I
439
00:22:42,494 --> 00:22:45,394
used to. And I know that it's going to
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00:22:45,394 --> 00:22:49,666
take time and I'm just being patient with
441
00:22:49,666 --> 00:22:52,626
myself and with the entire process. But
442
00:22:52,626 --> 00:22:54,466
yes, I do believe I'm glad. That you're
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being patient with yourself. That's very
444
00:22:56,838 --> 00:22:59,766
good. Yeah, I think that many listening in
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00:22:59,766 --> 00:23:02,946
this community, and it's not exclusively
446
00:23:02,946 --> 00:23:05,394
Christians that I'm talking about. In all
447
00:23:05,394 --> 00:23:08,306
faith communities, we see people who've
448
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walked through abuse in their faith
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community, whether it's in Islam or
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Judaism or if they're Buddhist or Hindu or
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Christian or even if they have no faith
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community. But it's been a community
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that's been spiritual in some way. And
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you've seen a leader be abusive and then
455
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you've seen it covered up by people in the
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faith community, it doesn't feel safe.
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Right? And there are reasons for that. And
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as survivors or even people who might have
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secondary trauma, who have friends who've
460
00:23:37,666 --> 00:23:39,954
been abused, it doesn't feel safe. Even
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for those friends when they've watched a
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00:23:41,762 --> 00:23:44,242
cover up happen and watched a perpetrator
463
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be centered and his story be the main
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story, those are red flags for people. And
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so I think part of caring well for
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ourselves and our own well being is to
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make decisions like you're making to find
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ways to express your faith and experience
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your faith in ways that you're safe and
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you're caring for yourself and you're
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protecting yourself. So there's a lot of
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people in this community that understand
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that and are walking through that. So
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thank you for being vulnerable to share
475
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that. But I know that you also really want
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to make an impact, especially for
477
00:24:13,962 --> 00:24:15,982
children, because your abuse happened as a
478
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child at five years old. So tell us a
479
00:24:17,966 --> 00:24:19,758
little bit about. Your book Pendo's Power.
480
00:24:19,758 --> 00:24:21,754
I know you're hoping to help children
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recognize and report sexual abuse. So what
482
00:24:24,358 --> 00:24:25,874
inspired you to even think about writing
483
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this book? And how are you seeing it
484
00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:29,460
received in the communities where you
485
00:24:29,460 --> 00:24:34,942
work? So Bendosau was inspired by my past
486
00:24:34,942 --> 00:24:36,806
experiences growing up as a child in Kiba.
487
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And I've shared a little bit about that.
488
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Also my current experiences as a mother. I
489
00:24:43,382 --> 00:24:46,454
have a three year old daughter, and when I
490
00:24:46,454 --> 00:24:49,318
had her, I was so scared. When I gave
491
00:24:49,318 --> 00:24:52,060
birth to my daughter, being a first time
492
00:24:52,060 --> 00:24:57,020
mom, being a single mom, I was so scared
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of what she's going to be exposed to. And
494
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I think when I had Amir, that's when the
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realization of my own abuse started
496
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dawning on me. I had not processed it. And
497
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so when she came, it was just like, oh my
498
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goodness, what have I done? What have I
499
00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:19,362
done? And I had Amira around the same time
500
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when COVID was happening because she came
501
00:25:21,906 --> 00:25:27,702
in 2019. And then COVID happened 2020
502
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because she was born in December. So we
503
00:25:30,486 --> 00:25:32,326
were at home, we were listening to all of
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00:25:32,326 --> 00:25:34,642
these things that were happening. Cases of
505
00:25:34,642 --> 00:25:37,706
abuse escalating. Children being abused in
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00:25:37,706 --> 00:25:40,026
their homes, women being abused by people
507
00:25:40,026 --> 00:25:43,722
they are living with. And oh my goodness,
508
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I struggled sleeping. I battled with the
509
00:25:48,314 --> 00:25:53,162
thought that Amir could be exposed to a
510
00:25:53,162 --> 00:25:56,830
perpetrator anytime because it was not
511
00:25:56,830 --> 00:25:59,038
like strange people. It was people that
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00:25:59,038 --> 00:26:02,750
were super close to her that are
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00:26:02,750 --> 00:26:06,466
potentially the abusers. And so I wanted
514
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to do something about it. I wanted to
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00:26:08,994 --> 00:26:11,346
create a resource that would help children
516
00:26:11,346 --> 00:26:14,718
like Amir, children living in different
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parts of Kenya, children living in
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00:26:16,406 --> 00:26:18,566
different parts of the world, to be able
519
00:26:18,566 --> 00:26:22,806
to learn about these key concepts early so
520
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that they know when their body boundaries
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00:26:25,414 --> 00:26:28,386
are being crossed. Because for me, I
522
00:26:28,386 --> 00:26:31,450
didn't know. No one told me about body
523
00:26:31,450 --> 00:26:34,474
boundaries. And the many women, the many,
524
00:26:34,474 --> 00:26:37,274
many girls that have spoken to me about
525
00:26:37,274 --> 00:26:38,906
being survivors of child sexual abuse,
526
00:26:38,906 --> 00:26:41,674
they didn't know. So I wanted to give my
527
00:26:41,674 --> 00:26:45,230
own child and other children that gift of
528
00:26:45,230 --> 00:26:48,190
knowing. And I know it's crazy because
529
00:26:48,190 --> 00:26:50,254
children are supposed to live in a bubble
530
00:26:50,254 --> 00:26:51,818
like they are kids, for heaven's sake.
531
00:26:51,818 --> 00:26:53,342
They're not supposed to be thinking about
532
00:26:53,342 --> 00:26:57,266
these things. But we also cannot be blind
533
00:26:57,266 --> 00:26:59,186
to the fact that bad things are happening
534
00:26:59,186 --> 00:27:02,130
in the world and the fact that we will not
535
00:27:02,130 --> 00:27:05,406
always be with them. So it's better for
536
00:27:05,406 --> 00:27:09,270
them to learn and know that they can
537
00:27:09,270 --> 00:27:12,662
actually use their voice to express when
538
00:27:12,662 --> 00:27:14,246
something is happening to them. And so
539
00:27:14,246 --> 00:27:16,834
that is what inspired the creation of
540
00:27:16,834 --> 00:27:20,634
Pendos Power. So it's a book that teaches
541
00:27:20,634 --> 00:27:23,018
children as young as four years old, all
542
00:27:23,018 --> 00:27:27,050
the way to twelve years old, about body
543
00:27:27,050 --> 00:27:30,966
safety. This is my body. These are my
544
00:27:30,966 --> 00:27:33,006
private parts. No one is supposed to touch
545
00:27:33,006 --> 00:27:35,594
my private part. If someone touches my
546
00:27:35,594 --> 00:27:37,760
private part, these are the people that I
547
00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,894
tell consent. I have the right to say yes
548
00:27:40,894 --> 00:27:43,006
or no, whether it's an adult, whether it's
549
00:27:43,006 --> 00:27:46,942
a child, I have the right to say it and be
550
00:27:46,942 --> 00:27:49,694
firm in my decision, especially when it
551
00:27:49,694 --> 00:27:52,366
involves my body. So these are the
552
00:27:52,366 --> 00:27:56,646
concepts that I wanted to bring out in the
553
00:27:56,646 --> 00:27:59,480
book, especially because growing up as a
554
00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,166
child, we were taught to always respect
555
00:28:02,166 --> 00:28:07,014
the elders. When the elder calls, you go,
556
00:28:07,014 --> 00:28:09,066
which is a good thing. But I feel like
557
00:28:09,066 --> 00:28:15,820
some perpetrators use this element to
558
00:28:15,820 --> 00:28:19,046
really get to kids because they're
559
00:28:19,046 --> 00:28:21,354
vulnerable, they're innocent, they cannot
560
00:28:21,354 --> 00:28:24,098
speak up for themselves. And so through
561
00:28:24,098 --> 00:28:26,366
Pendofa, I wanted children to know that
562
00:28:26,366 --> 00:28:29,742
their voice is powerful, that there are
563
00:28:29,742 --> 00:28:31,454
people out here who care about them, who
564
00:28:31,454 --> 00:28:34,434
care about their safety and are willing to
565
00:28:34,434 --> 00:28:39,486
do anything to protect them. And the book
566
00:28:39,486 --> 00:28:43,220
features a six year old girl from Kiber
567
00:28:43,220 --> 00:28:50,866
who well educated about these things. Like
568
00:28:50,866 --> 00:28:53,222
Pendo's mom and dad did a good job
569
00:28:53,222 --> 00:28:55,846
starting these conversations early because
570
00:28:55,846 --> 00:28:59,130
they were aware of the risks. And so
571
00:28:59,130 --> 00:29:02,650
because Pendo knows she is helping her
572
00:29:02,650 --> 00:29:07,558
friends Bahati and Know call out different
573
00:29:07,558 --> 00:29:09,820
kinds of abuse that they've been exposed
574
00:29:09,820 --> 00:29:12,926
to in the community. So that's pretty much
575
00:29:12,926 --> 00:29:15,680
what the book is about. We wanted it to be
576
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:20,762
very simple and fun, so we used a lot of
577
00:29:20,762 --> 00:29:24,082
colorful illustrations to just help
578
00:29:24,082 --> 00:29:27,140
children connect and resonate with the
579
00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:31,794
content. So far, it's just been amazing to
580
00:29:31,794 --> 00:29:34,018
see the response. It's been amazing to
581
00:29:34,018 --> 00:29:36,466
hear that kids are reading it, kids are
582
00:29:36,466 --> 00:29:39,942
connecting to the characters. Kids are
583
00:29:39,942 --> 00:29:42,454
saying, My voice is my power. Kids are
584
00:29:42,454 --> 00:29:45,366
saying it's okay not to keep it's not okay
585
00:29:45,366 --> 00:29:47,866
to keep secrets, things like that. So I'm
586
00:29:47,866 --> 00:29:52,262
just super grateful that the book is
587
00:29:52,262 --> 00:29:55,014
serving the purpose, like why I solely
588
00:29:55,014 --> 00:29:58,620
created it. I am getting feedback that it
589
00:29:58,620 --> 00:30:02,726
is. That'S amazing. What you've done is
590
00:30:02,726 --> 00:30:05,434
such a gift, and it's going to be so
591
00:30:05,434 --> 00:30:08,222
impactful, I'm sure, in prevention as the
592
00:30:08,222 --> 00:30:09,726
children read it, but also as the parents
593
00:30:09,726 --> 00:30:12,714
read it alongside. Because I think the
594
00:30:12,714 --> 00:30:14,754
nature of being a child in most cultures
595
00:30:14,754 --> 00:30:16,642
around the world is that there is this
596
00:30:16,642 --> 00:30:18,914
power dynamic between adults and children.
597
00:30:18,914 --> 00:30:24,322
And children are often at the receiving
598
00:30:24,322 --> 00:30:27,240
end of abuse of power in so many different
599
00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,426
ways, just their voice being believed or
600
00:30:31,426 --> 00:30:34,774
listened to. There's a lot of people that
601
00:30:34,774 --> 00:30:36,962
would just think, well, children are so
602
00:30:36,962 --> 00:30:39,480
imaginative. They made this up. This isn't
603
00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:42,262
real. And why would you say that about
604
00:30:42,262 --> 00:30:44,346
Uncle So and So, especially if they're
605
00:30:44,346 --> 00:30:46,454
like a pastor? And so there's so many
606
00:30:46,454 --> 00:30:47,866
stories, you and I probably both know,
607
00:30:47,866 --> 00:30:50,830
with that kind of narrative. But to help
608
00:30:50,830 --> 00:30:52,670
children understand that they have this
609
00:30:52,670 --> 00:30:54,974
power, I could imagine how reading that
610
00:30:54,974 --> 00:30:59,422
book as a child would feel so right,
611
00:30:59,422 --> 00:31:03,102
because we sort of, as children, long for
612
00:31:03,102 --> 00:31:05,182
people to believe us when something
613
00:31:05,182 --> 00:31:06,846
traumatic happens, just like we do when
614
00:31:06,846 --> 00:31:09,086
we're adults. But because the power
615
00:31:09,086 --> 00:31:10,802
dynamic between adult and children is
616
00:31:10,802 --> 00:31:15,342
often abused, those children often are so
617
00:31:15,342 --> 00:31:19,894
silenced. And so, yeah, as you've seen
618
00:31:19,894 --> 00:31:21,958
children and parents maybe walking through
619
00:31:21,958 --> 00:31:23,334
it together or reading it together, are
620
00:31:23,334 --> 00:31:25,046
there any stories or things that you can
621
00:31:25,046 --> 00:31:27,586
think of that are impactful or anything
622
00:31:27,586 --> 00:31:31,242
around that? Yeah, I think one of the most
623
00:31:31,242 --> 00:31:34,614
mind blowing things about this book is how
624
00:31:34,614 --> 00:31:37,980
it's not only just impacting children, but
625
00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:42,586
even the adults. I feel like most of the
626
00:31:42,586 --> 00:31:44,634
parents and caregivers that I am
627
00:31:44,634 --> 00:31:47,466
interacting with are kind of healing their
628
00:31:47,466 --> 00:31:50,926
inner child. They're going back to moments
629
00:31:50,926 --> 00:31:54,014
when they were children and reflecting on
630
00:31:54,014 --> 00:31:56,754
moments when they were abused and speaking
631
00:31:56,754 --> 00:32:00,994
up for the first time. So I think that for
632
00:32:00,994 --> 00:32:03,186
me has been everything. Knowing that, oh
633
00:32:03,186 --> 00:32:05,886
my goodness, so many parents and
634
00:32:05,886 --> 00:32:08,146
caregivers were carrying childhood trauma
635
00:32:08,146 --> 00:32:10,582
that they'd never processed with anyone.
636
00:32:10,582 --> 00:32:15,910
And this book is serving as an outlet for
637
00:32:15,910 --> 00:32:18,966
them and giving them the courage to just
638
00:32:18,966 --> 00:32:21,320
say, you know what? This happened to me
639
00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:25,594
too. I have never told anyone about it,
640
00:32:25,594 --> 00:32:29,034
and thank you for creating this because
641
00:32:29,034 --> 00:32:32,314
now I can start working on my own healing
642
00:32:32,314 --> 00:32:34,846
and I can be there for my child and I know
643
00:32:34,846 --> 00:32:38,414
how I can respond if my child tells me
644
00:32:38,414 --> 00:32:40,894
about it. So I think that for me has been
645
00:32:40,894 --> 00:32:43,090
oh my goodness, it has been everything.
646
00:32:43,090 --> 00:32:47,794
Seeing people allowing themselves to feel
647
00:32:47,794 --> 00:32:51,300
some emotions that they never process and
648
00:32:51,300 --> 00:32:55,380
just looking for support to walk through
649
00:32:55,380 --> 00:32:58,934
that, it has been amazing. And the other
650
00:32:58,934 --> 00:33:02,390
thing that I've been super blessed to see
651
00:33:02,390 --> 00:33:05,190
is all the opportunities that Pendas Power
652
00:33:05,190 --> 00:33:09,782
has opened up in terms of us reaching a
653
00:33:09,782 --> 00:33:13,242
wider demographic. So initially when I
654
00:33:13,242 --> 00:33:16,026
started writing it, the target audience I
655
00:33:16,026 --> 00:33:19,226
had in mind was the kids. And that's why
656
00:33:19,226 --> 00:33:21,834
the book is a children's book. But also
657
00:33:21,834 --> 00:33:24,250
while I was doing research for it, I
658
00:33:24,250 --> 00:33:25,806
realized many parents were like, we do not
659
00:33:25,806 --> 00:33:29,226
have the tools and resources to have this
660
00:33:29,226 --> 00:33:31,774
conversation. We want to, but how do I
661
00:33:31,774 --> 00:33:33,918
start telling my child about private
662
00:33:33,918 --> 00:33:37,700
parts? Especially when culturally they
663
00:33:37,700 --> 00:33:40,258
themselves didn't get a chance to do that
664
00:33:40,258 --> 00:33:44,610
with their parents? It's taboo. It's
665
00:33:44,610 --> 00:33:47,238
inappropriate. And so even just listening
666
00:33:47,238 --> 00:33:51,234
to parents and the need got us to create a
667
00:33:51,234 --> 00:33:54,102
companion guide for the book. So the book
668
00:33:54,102 --> 00:33:57,506
comes with a companion guide. You scan a
669
00:33:57,506 --> 00:34:00,594
QR code at the back and it takes you to a
670
00:34:00,594 --> 00:34:03,606
companion guide that gives you teach on if
671
00:34:03,606 --> 00:34:05,226
you're talking about private parts, this
672
00:34:05,226 --> 00:34:07,354
is how you approach it. This is how you
673
00:34:07,354 --> 00:34:09,386
start from the familiar things. This is
674
00:34:09,386 --> 00:34:12,398
how you use teachable everyday moments in
675
00:34:12,398 --> 00:34:16,190
your family, in your interactions to model
676
00:34:16,190 --> 00:34:19,406
this conversation. So that in itself is a
677
00:34:19,406 --> 00:34:22,026
whole other resource that came from
678
00:34:22,026 --> 00:34:24,754
Pendant Power. And when we were launching
679
00:34:24,754 --> 00:34:28,210
the book, we also released a teacher's
680
00:34:28,210 --> 00:34:30,434
guide because teachers were like, we also
681
00:34:30,434 --> 00:34:34,030
want to be consistent in having these
682
00:34:34,030 --> 00:34:36,262
conversations at the school setting. We
683
00:34:36,262 --> 00:34:39,766
spend a lot of time with Know. So it would
684
00:34:39,766 --> 00:34:43,366
be. Good to also have that ingrained in
685
00:34:43,366 --> 00:34:47,266
the curriculum. So in partnership with
686
00:34:47,266 --> 00:34:49,690
Microsoft, we just created a teacher's
687
00:34:49,690 --> 00:34:53,686
guide that we'll be advertising. So that's
688
00:34:53,686 --> 00:34:55,594
creating an opportunity for us to scale
689
00:34:55,594 --> 00:34:59,274
and reach many more students, many, many
690
00:34:59,274 --> 00:35:01,706
more children and teachers from all over
691
00:35:01,706 --> 00:35:04,960
Kenya and beyond. So it's just been crazy
692
00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,494
seeing all of these opportunities that are
693
00:35:08,494 --> 00:35:12,586
just coming up and it's like, oh wow. It
694
00:35:12,586 --> 00:35:14,786
was not just children. It was the parents,
695
00:35:14,786 --> 00:35:17,762
the caregivers, the teachers, institutions
696
00:35:17,762 --> 00:35:21,262
that work with kids. Anyone who is
697
00:35:21,262 --> 00:35:25,042
involved in matters child safety needed
698
00:35:25,042 --> 00:35:29,030
such a resource. So I'm just super
699
00:35:29,030 --> 00:35:33,014
grateful for all the survivors that have
700
00:35:33,014 --> 00:35:35,266
come up and told us, you know what? I am a
701
00:35:35,266 --> 00:35:37,766
survivor of child sexual abuse. I am so
702
00:35:37,766 --> 00:35:40,518
grateful for all the children who have
703
00:35:40,518 --> 00:35:43,046
shared their stories, who have parents
704
00:35:43,046 --> 00:35:47,146
sending us clips of children saying, it's
705
00:35:47,146 --> 00:35:49,910
not okay, Mommy, to keep a secret. Like
706
00:35:49,910 --> 00:35:53,246
children literally articulating some of
707
00:35:53,246 --> 00:35:55,950
the key concepts that we featured in the
708
00:35:55,950 --> 00:36:03,098
book. For me to just affirm the why,
709
00:36:03,098 --> 00:36:05,826
there's been a lot, a lot of feedback of
710
00:36:05,826 --> 00:36:08,142
the impact. And I think this is why many
711
00:36:08,142 --> 00:36:11,394
opportunities are coming up to just scale
712
00:36:11,394 --> 00:36:13,986
and take this information to as many
713
00:36:13,986 --> 00:36:19,558
people as possible. Yeah, it's incredible.
714
00:36:19,558 --> 00:36:21,842
I mean, when you just shared the part
715
00:36:21,842 --> 00:36:25,046
earlier about parents reading it with
716
00:36:25,046 --> 00:36:27,826
their children and realizing they're
717
00:36:27,826 --> 00:36:29,878
telling for the first time what happened
718
00:36:29,878 --> 00:36:31,498
to them and it just gave me chills. I got
719
00:36:31,498 --> 00:36:33,818
a little teary eyed. I mean, it's so
720
00:36:33,818 --> 00:36:35,674
beautiful because that is the impact you
721
00:36:35,674 --> 00:36:39,146
want to see. To give freedom to those who
722
00:36:39,146 --> 00:36:41,162
have been trapped for so long with their
723
00:36:41,162 --> 00:36:42,874
story and having been silenced for all
724
00:36:42,874 --> 00:36:45,854
those years from people who really did not
725
00:36:45,854 --> 00:36:47,726
even ask about what happened or wouldn't
726
00:36:47,726 --> 00:36:49,278
have even listened or believed them, maybe
727
00:36:49,278 --> 00:36:51,934
if they had told. And I do hear over and
728
00:36:51,934 --> 00:36:56,666
over again of moms who were sexually
729
00:36:56,666 --> 00:36:58,258
abused as a child. And then when they have
730
00:36:58,258 --> 00:37:00,530
a daughter that gets to that age, there is
731
00:37:00,530 --> 00:37:02,990
something that happens. Like you
732
00:37:02,990 --> 00:37:04,594
described, whether they were 15 when it
733
00:37:04,594 --> 00:37:05,922
happened, and their daughter gets to be
734
00:37:05,922 --> 00:37:08,854
15. And there's something that kind of
735
00:37:08,854 --> 00:37:12,002
gives them an opportunity to either start
736
00:37:12,002 --> 00:37:14,226
healing or take it to a new level of
737
00:37:14,226 --> 00:37:17,062
healing or even advocacy. I hear people
738
00:37:17,062 --> 00:37:19,258
talking about that at that stage to say,
739
00:37:19,258 --> 00:37:22,106
finally, like, wow, that was wrong. I was
740
00:37:22,106 --> 00:37:24,538
a child. And it was like whether that was
741
00:37:24,538 --> 00:37:28,698
a youth leader or a pastor, especially,
742
00:37:28,698 --> 00:37:32,110
really kind of a new level of advocacy
743
00:37:32,110 --> 00:37:33,918
within those faith communities to protect
744
00:37:33,918 --> 00:37:35,514
children, especially in the faith
745
00:37:35,514 --> 00:37:37,774
communities. Because I think over and over
746
00:37:37,774 --> 00:37:41,738
again what we see with either children or
747
00:37:41,738 --> 00:37:45,138
adults that are abused, it's often by
748
00:37:45,138 --> 00:37:47,758
people who are considered what we call do
749
00:37:47,758 --> 00:37:54,462
gooders. So pastors, policemen, teachers,
750
00:37:54,462 --> 00:37:58,978
resource people in the schools, doctors,
751
00:37:58,978 --> 00:38:01,126
so these people that no one would believe
752
00:38:01,126 --> 00:38:02,534
had done anything wrong with because they
753
00:38:02,534 --> 00:38:05,270
do so much good in the world. It is a
754
00:38:05,270 --> 00:38:07,846
place for them to hide and therefore it's
755
00:38:07,846 --> 00:38:10,134
so much harder to be believed. And so the
756
00:38:10,134 --> 00:38:13,066
healing can be so complicated for people.
757
00:38:13,066 --> 00:38:17,270
And so as you're doing this work to both
758
00:38:17,270 --> 00:38:20,060
prevent and respond to sexual violence
759
00:38:20,060 --> 00:38:23,886
within different parts of communities,
760
00:38:23,886 --> 00:38:26,174
what are some of the best practices you
761
00:38:26,174 --> 00:38:28,590
have seen? What are some of the tools that
762
00:38:28,590 --> 00:38:31,600
you're helping people understand and learn
763
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:40,720
from? So one of the key things that we
764
00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:43,786
usually recommend, especially when a
765
00:38:43,786 --> 00:38:46,754
survivor comes to us and they tell us a
766
00:38:46,754 --> 00:38:51,606
survivor, I think the biggest one is being
767
00:38:51,606 --> 00:38:57,560
in a community with other survivors,
768
00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:01,546
because healing happening in isolation is
769
00:39:01,546 --> 00:39:05,862
a lot, it can be overwhelming. You will
770
00:39:05,862 --> 00:39:08,854
constantly feel like you're not moving,
771
00:39:08,854 --> 00:39:12,942
nothing's happening. And so one of the
772
00:39:12,942 --> 00:39:15,520
most important things we try to do is help
773
00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,750
this survivor, this person who has come to
774
00:39:18,750 --> 00:39:22,526
us to be part of a community. So here in
775
00:39:22,526 --> 00:39:25,726
the States, we do have a support group for
776
00:39:25,726 --> 00:39:28,546
survivors of sexual violence. And in Kenya
777
00:39:28,546 --> 00:39:31,090
as well, we are trying to create more of
778
00:39:31,090 --> 00:39:33,922
these communities of survivors where
779
00:39:33,922 --> 00:39:36,614
people just meet and share their stories
780
00:39:36,614 --> 00:39:41,506
in a dignified way and try to reclaim some
781
00:39:41,506 --> 00:39:45,650
parts of them that were lost with the
782
00:39:45,650 --> 00:39:49,430
trauma. So that has been very key. And of
783
00:39:49,430 --> 00:39:51,578
course, the other part is just helping
784
00:39:51,578 --> 00:39:54,874
them access support services because many
785
00:39:54,874 --> 00:39:57,626
people don't know, many people do not know
786
00:39:57,626 --> 00:40:01,534
that when this happens to you, you can go
787
00:40:01,534 --> 00:40:05,280
to this particular hospital to get free
788
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:07,882
services. There's this network of
789
00:40:07,882 --> 00:40:12,918
counselors that offers free pro bono
790
00:40:12,918 --> 00:40:15,022
counseling services. There are these
791
00:40:15,022 --> 00:40:19,874
lawyers that offer services for you. So I
792
00:40:19,874 --> 00:40:22,366
think what we are grateful for is that
793
00:40:22,366 --> 00:40:27,190
we've been able to become that resource
794
00:40:27,190 --> 00:40:30,134
that helps survivors be connected to
795
00:40:30,134 --> 00:40:33,350
people who are doing the work in the
796
00:40:33,350 --> 00:40:36,966
ground. That has meant growing our network
797
00:40:36,966 --> 00:40:39,934
of referral services, we have a whole
798
00:40:39,934 --> 00:40:42,854
database of these are the people that are
799
00:40:42,854 --> 00:40:45,546
offering counseling services. These are
800
00:40:45,546 --> 00:40:48,074
the hospitals that survivors can go to.
801
00:40:48,074 --> 00:40:50,910
These are the hotlines that survivors can
802
00:40:50,910 --> 00:40:54,030
call. So we've taken time to intentionally
803
00:40:54,030 --> 00:40:57,930
put this data together and to make it
804
00:40:57,930 --> 00:41:01,678
accessible to survivors any communities
805
00:41:01,678 --> 00:41:04,634
that we go to. So that's the other thing,
806
00:41:04,634 --> 00:41:06,898
making sure that they know that support
807
00:41:06,898 --> 00:41:08,914
services are available for them, that they
808
00:41:08,914 --> 00:41:11,362
can access them, and then the next thing,
809
00:41:11,362 --> 00:41:15,266
like helping them be a part of a community
810
00:41:15,266 --> 00:41:19,410
so that their healing can happen together.
811
00:41:19,410 --> 00:41:21,586
Hear the stories and you're encouraged,
812
00:41:21,586 --> 00:41:24,886
you're inspired to continue working in
813
00:41:24,886 --> 00:41:27,686
that journey because healing is not easy.
814
00:41:27,686 --> 00:41:30,586
There are days when you're doing so well,
815
00:41:30,586 --> 00:41:33,386
and then there are days where you go back
816
00:41:33,386 --> 00:41:36,054
to those dark places and you feel like you
817
00:41:36,054 --> 00:41:39,430
haven't made any strides. So we really
818
00:41:39,430 --> 00:41:43,934
encourage community and storytelling as a
819
00:41:43,934 --> 00:41:47,134
big part of helping you process the trauma
820
00:41:47,134 --> 00:41:53,018
that happened before. Yeah, storytelling
821
00:41:53,018 --> 00:41:56,178
is so powerful. Just any survivor needs
822
00:41:56,178 --> 00:41:58,274
someone to hear their story and believe
823
00:41:58,274 --> 00:42:01,220
them. And empathize. And every time that
824
00:42:01,220 --> 00:42:03,634
happens, it's a little bit more healing.
825
00:42:03,634 --> 00:42:06,434
And community that's Safe really does play
826
00:42:06,434 --> 00:42:09,174
that role. It's one of the many aspects
827
00:42:09,174 --> 00:42:11,398
that I've seen personally in my own life
828
00:42:11,398 --> 00:42:13,734
and then in the lives of others who are
829
00:42:13,734 --> 00:42:15,686
either trauma survivors or abuse survivors
830
00:42:15,686 --> 00:42:20,646
or both. It is hugely helpful. Yeah. Thank
831
00:42:20,646 --> 00:42:22,854
you so much for all that. You've shared so
832
00:42:22,854 --> 00:42:25,226
vulnerably today. I know it's really going
833
00:42:25,226 --> 00:42:27,260
to resonate with so many people that
834
00:42:27,260 --> 00:42:29,914
listen, both in Africa, we have a lot of
835
00:42:29,914 --> 00:42:32,026
people who listen in Africa, kenya,
836
00:42:32,026 --> 00:42:34,958
Nigeria, a bunch of different places and
837
00:42:34,958 --> 00:42:36,862
also all around the world. Because these
838
00:42:36,862 --> 00:42:39,738
things are not exclusive to one country,
839
00:42:39,738 --> 00:42:41,230
they're not exclusive to one faith
840
00:42:41,230 --> 00:42:43,214
community, they're not exclusive to one
841
00:42:43,214 --> 00:42:45,646
type of school system or government. This
842
00:42:45,646 --> 00:42:49,106
is a global issue. And I'm so grateful
843
00:42:49,106 --> 00:42:50,546
that you have written this book and I do
844
00:42:50,546 --> 00:42:52,702
hope it gets into the hands of people
845
00:42:52,702 --> 00:42:55,442
everywhere that can help children to have
846
00:42:55,442 --> 00:42:57,218
these conversations with their caregivers
847
00:42:57,218 --> 00:42:59,206
and their parents. Because I know when I
848
00:42:59,206 --> 00:43:01,400
was raising my children when they were
849
00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:04,534
little, we were given some tools and I do
850
00:43:04,534 --> 00:43:06,454
feel so privileged that we were. But
851
00:43:06,454 --> 00:43:07,926
having a book like yours to walk through
852
00:43:07,926 --> 00:43:08,966
with our children would have been that
853
00:43:08,966 --> 00:43:11,066
much better. We had little conversations
854
00:43:11,066 --> 00:43:12,346
like don't let somebody touch you where
855
00:43:12,346 --> 00:43:14,154
your bathing suit would cover. And don't
856
00:43:14,154 --> 00:43:16,586
keep secrets. We did have access to some
857
00:43:16,586 --> 00:43:20,234
of those resources. And you do worry
858
00:43:20,234 --> 00:43:21,722
because, you know, even though you've
859
00:43:21,722 --> 00:43:24,294
given your child tools, that there are
860
00:43:24,294 --> 00:43:27,386
people out there that can so easily take
861
00:43:27,386 --> 00:43:29,086
advantage of them. So this book is so
862
00:43:29,086 --> 00:43:30,974
beautiful and it's going to prevent so
863
00:43:30,974 --> 00:43:32,654
much and I'm so grateful that you wrote
864
00:43:32,654 --> 00:43:35,680
it. So thank you for your time today. Is
865
00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:37,506
there any last thing you would. Like to
866
00:43:37,506 --> 00:43:39,426
say to our audience and. Also let people
867
00:43:39,426 --> 00:43:41,106
know where they can find you and more of
868
00:43:41,106 --> 00:43:45,286
your writing and speaking? Well, I think
869
00:43:45,286 --> 00:43:50,594
my call to action would be, do not let
870
00:43:50,594 --> 00:43:54,934
fear paralyze you. Because I think looking
871
00:43:54,934 --> 00:43:57,426
back at that moment when I had my
872
00:43:57,426 --> 00:44:00,602
daughter, I had so much fear. I had so
873
00:44:00,602 --> 00:44:04,346
much fear of like, oh, my goodness. But I
874
00:44:04,346 --> 00:44:07,658
had the choice of just letting that fear
875
00:44:07,658 --> 00:44:11,162
control me and stagnate me. And I had this
876
00:44:11,162 --> 00:44:14,206
other choice of doing something about it.
877
00:44:14,206 --> 00:44:17,680
And I know sometimes it may feel like a
878
00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:19,850
lot because even for me, at that point, I
879
00:44:19,850 --> 00:44:22,494
didn't even know I could write a book.
880
00:44:22,494 --> 00:44:26,450
Even when I was telling our founder this
881
00:44:26,450 --> 00:44:29,634
idea, I thought someone else would do it.
882
00:44:29,634 --> 00:44:31,666
But then she was like, you are the one
883
00:44:31,666 --> 00:44:35,006
with the vision. You will figure it out.
884
00:44:35,006 --> 00:44:38,722
Figure it out. Start something. And so my
885
00:44:38,722 --> 00:44:41,990
encouragement for anyone who's listening,
886
00:44:41,990 --> 00:44:45,862
whatever it is that you're grappling with,
887
00:44:45,862 --> 00:44:48,922
just start somewhere. Start where you are
888
00:44:48,922 --> 00:44:52,986
at and do not let fear stop you. Because I
889
00:44:52,986 --> 00:44:56,246
feel like some of the most awesome
890
00:44:56,246 --> 00:44:58,374
innovations in this world. Some of the
891
00:44:58,374 --> 00:45:04,094
biggest change makers, they chose to act.
892
00:45:04,094 --> 00:45:10,266
For me, I feel like even in this quest of
893
00:45:10,266 --> 00:45:14,346
ending sexual violence, we cannot be
894
00:45:14,346 --> 00:45:16,786
passive. We cannot just hear, listen to
895
00:45:16,786 --> 00:45:19,122
all of the stories that are happening and
896
00:45:19,122 --> 00:45:20,766
watch the news and be like, oh my God,
897
00:45:20,766 --> 00:45:25,374
that's terrible. No. We have to actively
898
00:45:25,374 --> 00:45:27,270
participate in making sure that it's not
899
00:45:27,270 --> 00:45:30,018
happening in our houses, in our
900
00:45:30,018 --> 00:45:32,440
neighborhoods, in our community as a
901
00:45:32,440 --> 00:45:35,366
whole. You have to make the choice to call
902
00:45:35,366 --> 00:45:38,838
it out when you see it, to hold people
903
00:45:38,838 --> 00:45:42,874
accountable, to speak up whenever you hear
904
00:45:42,874 --> 00:45:46,650
a belief that perpetrates the culture of
905
00:45:46,650 --> 00:45:49,914
violence, all of that. You have to make
906
00:45:49,914 --> 00:45:52,062
the choice to speak up. You have to lean
907
00:45:52,062 --> 00:45:55,166
into courage, just like Pendo, and use
908
00:45:55,166 --> 00:45:58,814
your voice to call out any forms of abuse
909
00:45:58,814 --> 00:46:02,270
that you see. So that is my biggest
910
00:46:02,270 --> 00:46:05,474
encouragement. Pendostawa is now available
911
00:46:05,474 --> 00:46:08,786
in Kenya and the United States. In Kenya,
912
00:46:08,786 --> 00:46:13,346
you can find it in any textbook center.
913
00:46:13,346 --> 00:46:20,920
You can also order on our website, kenya
914
00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:23,430
Pendospower.com. And then here in the
915
00:46:23,430 --> 00:46:27,010
United States. It will be available on
916
00:46:27,010 --> 00:46:30,714
Amazon in a month. But currently orders
917
00:46:30,714 --> 00:46:37,738
are being made on Buy Kindofower.com, buy
918
00:46:37,738 --> 00:46:40,054
Pendofower.com. You can also follow us on
919
00:46:40,054 --> 00:46:43,966
our socials to be updated on everything
920
00:46:43,966 --> 00:46:47,738
that we're doing and all our socials are
921
00:46:47,738 --> 00:46:50,590
Freely in Hope. Freely in hope on
922
00:46:50,590 --> 00:46:54,958
Instagram. Freely in hope on Facebook.
923
00:46:54,958 --> 00:46:57,842
Freely in hope on Twitter. So you can
924
00:46:57,842 --> 00:47:00,562
follow us and you can also check out our
925
00:47:00,562 --> 00:47:05,410
website, which is WW freelyinhope.org to
926
00:47:05,410 --> 00:47:08,774
just access all of these awesome resources
927
00:47:08,774 --> 00:47:11,442
that are featured there. Our website is a
928
00:47:11,442 --> 00:47:14,040
resource gallo. As you can tell. We love
929
00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:16,850
to provide resources that educate
930
00:47:16,850 --> 00:47:18,626
communities about all of these things.
931
00:47:18,626 --> 00:47:21,366
Trauma informed parenting, trauma informed
932
00:47:21,366 --> 00:47:24,586
caregiving, how do you respond, all of
933
00:47:24,586 --> 00:47:26,954
that. Just check out our website and you
934
00:47:26,954 --> 00:47:29,386
get access to a lot of very good
935
00:47:29,386 --> 00:47:35,374
information that will help you take. Yeah,
936
00:47:35,374 --> 00:47:37,566
thank you. Lydia, it's been so wonderful
937
00:47:37,566 --> 00:47:39,806
to hear your story today. Thank you so
938
00:47:39,806 --> 00:47:41,694
much for vulnerably, sharing it, and for
939
00:47:41,694 --> 00:47:45,134
your courage to not only heal yourself,
940
00:47:45,134 --> 00:47:47,266
but also to warn and protect others and
941
00:47:47,266 --> 00:47:49,090
give people resources to protect
942
00:47:49,090 --> 00:47:51,970
themselves and their children from any
943
00:47:51,970 --> 00:47:53,810
future abuse. So thank you for being on
944
00:47:53,810 --> 00:47:55,966
today. Thank you for having me. This has
945
00:47:55,966 --> 00:48:00,200
been amazing, very reflective, going back
946
00:48:00,200 --> 00:48:02,662
and looking at the journey. It has been
947
00:48:02,662 --> 00:48:04,600
awesome. So thank you so much for having
948
00:48:04,600 --> 00:48:06,886
me. Looking forward to more interactions
949
00:48:06,886 --> 00:48:10,882
in the future. That conversation was so
950
00:48:10,882 --> 00:48:14,346
vulnerable and so special. Bye. And I hope
951
00:48:14,346 --> 00:48:16,538
that you're listening and recognizing what
952
00:48:16,538 --> 00:48:18,954
a treasure it is to have someone share
953
00:48:18,954 --> 00:48:23,294
their story so vulnerably so openly, as
954
00:48:23,294 --> 00:48:27,454
she mentioned. Many in fact, it seems as
955
00:48:27,454 --> 00:48:29,306
though the majority of people who've
956
00:48:29,306 --> 00:48:33,250
walked through abuse and trauma never,
957
00:48:33,250 --> 00:48:36,914
ever share. Especially in cases like what
958
00:48:36,914 --> 00:48:40,814
she mentioned, where cultures are
959
00:48:40,814 --> 00:48:43,026
silencing, especially little girls and
960
00:48:43,026 --> 00:48:45,826
women who've experienced sexual abuse and
961
00:48:45,826 --> 00:48:48,870
blaming them for what they wore, blaming
962
00:48:48,870 --> 00:48:52,306
them for doing something that would
963
00:48:52,306 --> 00:48:54,646
somehow entice their own abuse to happen
964
00:48:54,646 --> 00:48:58,166
to them, even as children, even as a five
965
00:48:58,166 --> 00:49:01,818
year old girl, those things happen. And so
966
00:49:01,818 --> 00:49:04,300
I don't know if you ever saw there was
967
00:49:04,300 --> 00:49:07,034
this exhibit that was going around a few
968
00:49:07,034 --> 00:49:09,194
years ago where it just showed the outfits
969
00:49:09,194 --> 00:49:11,118
little girls and women had been wearing at
970
00:49:11,118 --> 00:49:14,446
the time of their own sexual assault. And
971
00:49:14,446 --> 00:49:16,318
it was horrifying to look at because none
972
00:49:16,318 --> 00:49:18,954
of them were what any of us would consider
973
00:49:18,954 --> 00:49:24,466
overly sexualized. But also, one of them
974
00:49:24,466 --> 00:49:26,114
was so horrifying because it was like a
975
00:49:26,114 --> 00:49:29,614
little baby girl swimsuit that was just
976
00:49:29,614 --> 00:49:33,410
awful to see. Some of them were like
977
00:49:33,410 --> 00:49:37,160
sweatshirts. The point being, even if it
978
00:49:37,160 --> 00:49:39,922
was a very sexy outfit that a woman was
979
00:49:39,922 --> 00:49:43,510
wearing, it does not invite her own sexual
980
00:49:43,510 --> 00:49:47,262
assault. And so we have a way of victim
981
00:49:47,262 --> 00:49:50,294
blaming abuse of every kind. Not just
982
00:49:50,294 --> 00:49:53,594
sexual abuse, but victim blaming people
983
00:49:53,594 --> 00:49:55,766
for emotional abuse, psychological abuse,
984
00:49:55,766 --> 00:49:57,754
spiritual abuse, financial abuse. Often
985
00:49:57,754 --> 00:50:00,358
things will be said, well, why did you
986
00:50:00,358 --> 00:50:02,586
blank? As if something they had done
987
00:50:02,586 --> 00:50:05,566
evoked that response from an abuser,
988
00:50:05,566 --> 00:50:08,666
especially when it's a woman victim and a
989
00:50:08,666 --> 00:50:11,886
male abuser. And also, even if it's not,
990
00:50:11,886 --> 00:50:14,602
when there's a power dynamic differential,
991
00:50:14,602 --> 00:50:16,526
often it's even more likely that the
992
00:50:16,526 --> 00:50:19,166
victim will be blamed. And so all of this
993
00:50:19,166 --> 00:50:22,580
helps us to be aware. And awareness is
994
00:50:22,580 --> 00:50:25,414
key. The more we spread the truth, the
995
00:50:25,414 --> 00:50:27,862
more we value transparency, the more we
996
00:50:27,862 --> 00:50:31,314
create psychological safety for victim
997
00:50:31,314 --> 00:50:34,054
survivors of abuse to share their story,
998
00:50:34,054 --> 00:50:36,566
to believe them, to empathize with them,
999
00:50:36,566 --> 00:50:38,906
and to advocate on their behalf. Because
1000
00:50:38,906 --> 00:50:42,522
this is not a role victims should be the
1001
00:50:42,522 --> 00:50:45,590
only ones playing. And that's one of
1002
00:50:45,590 --> 00:50:49,194
advocacy. Many advocates that I know are
1003
00:50:49,194 --> 00:50:52,070
themselves victim survivors, but not
1004
00:50:52,070 --> 00:50:53,994
exclusively are all advocates victim
1005
00:50:53,994 --> 00:50:57,742
survivors themselves. But it does seem so.
1006
00:50:57,742 --> 00:50:59,438
Often the brunt of this work is carried on
1007
00:50:59,438 --> 00:51:01,290
the backs of those who are the most
1008
00:51:01,290 --> 00:51:04,622
traumatized by what has happened then it's
1009
00:51:04,622 --> 00:51:07,154
being the victim survivors of abuse. So we
1010
00:51:07,154 --> 00:51:09,714
need more allies. We need more people who
1011
00:51:09,714 --> 00:51:11,762
help carry this load who are not actually
1012
00:51:11,762 --> 00:51:13,262
still walking through the trauma of
1013
00:51:13,262 --> 00:51:17,086
experiencing it. And so the bravery of a
1014
00:51:17,086 --> 00:51:19,542
woman like her coming on the show to not
1015
00:51:19,542 --> 00:51:21,734
only share her own experience but to speak
1016
00:51:21,734 --> 00:51:24,966
out and be an advocate, help people find
1017
00:51:24,966 --> 00:51:27,506
best practices to how to heal and then
1018
00:51:27,506 --> 00:51:30,182
writing a book to help prevent is just so
1019
00:51:30,182 --> 00:51:33,066
powerful and so amazing, so honored to
1020
00:51:33,066 --> 00:51:34,886
have her on the show today. And I'm really
1021
00:51:34,886 --> 00:51:36,314
wondering how you're resonating with what
1022
00:51:36,314 --> 00:51:40,154
she said. It certainly impacted me. Like I
1023
00:51:40,154 --> 00:51:42,454
said, I got chills and I got a little
1024
00:51:42,454 --> 00:51:44,026
teary eyed at one point when she was
1025
00:51:44,026 --> 00:51:46,398
sharing about a parent reading that book
1026
00:51:46,398 --> 00:51:48,286
and then understanding their own abuse
1027
00:51:48,286 --> 00:51:49,790
that they had not really ever spoken
1028
00:51:49,790 --> 00:51:51,994
about. And people listening to this
1029
00:51:51,994 --> 00:51:53,546
podcast, many of you may have carried
1030
00:51:53,546 --> 00:51:56,466
abuse for years and never told anyone. And
1031
00:51:56,466 --> 00:51:59,314
if that's you, I really do hope that you
1032
00:51:59,314 --> 00:52:02,226
find someone safe to speak to and reach
1033
00:52:02,226 --> 00:52:05,794
out to them, whether it's a therapist that
1034
00:52:05,794 --> 00:52:07,970
will keep that confidential and once
1035
00:52:07,970 --> 00:52:10,294
again, BetterHelp.com Difference can be a
1036
00:52:10,294 --> 00:52:12,566
place where you can get some help 10% off
1037
00:52:12,566 --> 00:52:14,614
your first month. But even if it's a
1038
00:52:14,614 --> 00:52:18,120
friend, even if it's somebody you meet
1039
00:52:18,120 --> 00:52:20,546
through social media that's experienced
1040
00:52:20,546 --> 00:52:22,106
abuse themselves and that you could share
1041
00:52:22,106 --> 00:52:25,738
that with yeah. It's so powerful to be
1042
00:52:25,738 --> 00:52:27,322
able to. Speak it out loud. And many
1043
00:52:27,322 --> 00:52:29,642
people find healing by being able to
1044
00:52:29,642 --> 00:52:32,106
finally share it with people who will
1045
00:52:32,106 --> 00:52:35,430
listen, believe you and empathize with
1046
00:52:35,430 --> 00:52:37,086
what you went through. It's so much a part
1047
00:52:37,086 --> 00:52:39,086
of healing. So I love the work that she's
1048
00:52:39,086 --> 00:52:40,666
doing in community and the narrative,
1049
00:52:40,666 --> 00:52:42,766
method and storytelling about all of this.
1050
00:52:42,766 --> 00:52:44,622
It really helps to have a support group of
1051
00:52:44,622 --> 00:52:46,498
people. If you can find that, not
1052
00:52:46,498 --> 00:52:50,914
everybody can. But for those of you who
1053
00:52:50,914 --> 00:52:53,154
have never told anyone, yeah, my heart
1054
00:52:53,154 --> 00:52:55,090
goes out to you today and I do hope you
1055
00:52:55,090 --> 00:52:57,106
find a space where you can feel free just
1056
00:52:57,106 --> 00:52:59,050
to open up a little bit and not have to
1057
00:52:59,050 --> 00:53:02,678
carry that burden by yourself. Also, we go
1058
00:53:02,678 --> 00:53:04,550
a little bit deeper with her in the
1059
00:53:04,550 --> 00:53:06,018
Difference Maker community. So if you
1060
00:53:06,018 --> 00:53:07,730
haven't joined us there, you can go to
1061
00:53:07,730 --> 00:53:12,346
Patreon Comaworldofdifference. For only $5
1062
00:53:12,346 --> 00:53:15,786
a month, you could join our group and
1063
00:53:15,786 --> 00:53:18,266
there are extra content that's exclusive
1064
00:53:18,266 --> 00:53:21,034
for this group. She stops in there and I
1065
00:53:21,034 --> 00:53:22,950
ask her a little more about some of the
1066
00:53:22,950 --> 00:53:25,642
practices that she has found helpful for
1067
00:53:25,642 --> 00:53:28,602
herself and her own healing. And a sneak
1068
00:53:28,602 --> 00:53:30,302
peek, we get a little bit into some of the
1069
00:53:30,302 --> 00:53:32,574
right brain stuff that's been helpful for
1070
00:53:32,574 --> 00:53:35,054
her and that's some of my new findings
1071
00:53:35,054 --> 00:53:36,990
personally is how much right brain
1072
00:53:36,990 --> 00:53:40,274
activities can be so key in our healing,
1073
00:53:40,274 --> 00:53:43,374
our bodies and our brains and nervous
1074
00:53:43,374 --> 00:53:45,698
systems that still kind of carry and keep
1075
00:53:45,698 --> 00:53:47,314
the score. And so she talks through a lot
1076
00:53:47,314 --> 00:53:51,174
of things that she's been doing and it's a
1077
00:53:51,174 --> 00:53:52,886
fun conversation at the same time. So I
1078
00:53:52,886 --> 00:53:55,782
hope you join us there. Once again,
1079
00:53:55,782 --> 00:53:57,238
Patreon.com Slash, a World of Difference
1080
00:53:57,238 --> 00:53:58,934
where you can come and join us, check us
1081
00:53:58,934 --> 00:54:00,278
out, check us out for a month and see what
1082
00:54:00,278 --> 00:54:02,106
you think. There's a lot of extra content
1083
00:54:02,106 --> 00:54:04,026
in there with all of our different guests
1084
00:54:04,026 --> 00:54:06,746
and we do a little fun things sometimes
1085
00:54:06,746 --> 00:54:08,586
where I put in some Lori's travel tips
1086
00:54:08,586 --> 00:54:11,274
from the different places I've been and
1087
00:54:11,274 --> 00:54:13,162
love for you to chime in on those too. So,
1088
00:54:13,162 --> 00:54:15,086
yeah, it's a little bit of deep, a little
1089
00:54:15,086 --> 00:54:17,022
bit of fun in our Difference Maker
1090
00:54:17,022 --> 00:54:19,198
community so I'd love to have you join us.
1091
00:54:19,198 --> 00:54:20,846
Anyway, I know a lot of you are carrying
1092
00:54:20,846 --> 00:54:23,614
some pretty heavy loads. If this has been
1093
00:54:23,614 --> 00:54:25,646
a podcast that's been helpful for you and
1094
00:54:25,646 --> 00:54:27,394
you feel like you know someone that really
1095
00:54:27,394 --> 00:54:29,106
could benefit from this conversation
1096
00:54:29,106 --> 00:54:31,794
today, please share it with them. That's
1097
00:54:31,794 --> 00:54:34,594
one way you can make a difference. Also
1098
00:54:34,594 --> 00:54:35,906
another way you can make a difference is
1099
00:54:35,906 --> 00:54:37,634
it really does, for whatever reason help
1100
00:54:37,634 --> 00:54:40,914
people find us when you give us a review.
1101
00:54:40,914 --> 00:54:42,086
So I don't know what happens with all
1102
00:54:42,086 --> 00:54:43,826
those algorithms, but when you go to
1103
00:54:43,826 --> 00:54:45,206
wherever you're listening your podcast and
1104
00:54:45,206 --> 00:54:46,694
just take a couple of seconds, it doesn't
1105
00:54:46,694 --> 00:54:48,262
take long, but it can make a huge
1106
00:54:48,262 --> 00:54:49,798
difference to just give us a review and
1107
00:54:49,798 --> 00:54:51,094
let us know what you think. And it helps
1108
00:54:51,094 --> 00:54:52,802
other people find us to have these
1109
00:54:52,802 --> 00:54:55,126
conversations with us. So yeah would love
1110
00:54:55,126 --> 00:54:58,246
that. Once again, it's a wild month for a
1111
00:54:58,246 --> 00:55:01,646
lot of people. Lots going on. So take care
1112
00:55:01,646 --> 00:55:03,470
of yourself and wherever you are in the