Hope For Survivors Of Sexual Violence

A powerful reason for the Wangu Kanja Foundation's existence.

There is life after sexual assault and/or rape. It can, however, be a lengthy and difficult journey without any support. One day, it happened to Wangu Kanja, when she was carjacked and brutally assaulted. It took her years, through many challenges and with the stigma, to put her life back on track.

While being deeply affected, Wangu wanted to provide the support that women, who have been sexually assaulted, really need. She formed the WANGU KANJA FOUNDATION, with the ultimate goal being to create a society free of sexual violence.



Wangu talked about her reasoning, "I am passionate about healing and restoration of survivors because, if not addressed, this will affect their families and community. Low self-esteem, anger, resentment, and doubt makes the women and children vulnerable to re-victimization."

The Foundation is addressing its ultimate vision through creating awareness of the issue, providing healing for victims through comprehensive care and support, advocacy, and restorative justice. There is also a push for women to develop economic freedom, so they are less likely to become victims. The Foundation focuses particularly on survivors of sexual violence, who have homes in the Mukuru kwa Ruben slum in Nairobi.

One of the available programs is dance therapy. Through dance therapy, women can experience the unification of mind and body, through movement that aids in healing. This form of therapy helps individuals feel safe with themselves and others; work through the traumatic memories; and re-engage in their lives and relationships. Even when the body has experienced physical changes as a result of the assault, survivors can realize their body's abilities and experience rehabilitation.

Participants begin and end each session in a circle. The circle reminds participants of their interconnectedness with others, something which may have been damaged as a result of the trauma. The circle also allows the group to warm up slowly and is a reminder that group members can engage at their level of comfort and physical skill. At the end of each session, after a wind-down, participants can share verbally their perceptions of the experience.

Dance therapy participants.

Wangu discussed some of the other functions of her Foundation, "We also conduct awareness creation to educate and inform the community of the dangers of this vice and as a preventive measure to safeguard the lives of the women and children in this community. By having the network of survivors, we will be able to have a platform for lobbying and advocacy to improve infrastructure as a way of preventing sexual violence from happening."

This should be true everywhere.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/wangu-kanja-giving-hope-to-survivors-of-sexual-violence-through-dance/; this post from the Wangu Kanja Foundation on dance therapy: http://www.wangukanjafoundation.org/dance-therapy/; and the above link.

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