A Survivor #SpeaksOut: I was Raped By 7 Men in #Nigeria

We have been asking that people share their survival stories with us (check HERE), some people have reached out and we hope their stories will isnpire you. Habiba is one of those. Read more...

I never thought that I would do this. I mean I don't like talking about this. I guess you might want to hear the story first. Of course, afterwards you'll know why I feel this way. Thank you @AyodejiOsowobi for letting me tell my story.

Hello, I am Habiba, I am not really sure how I should start. It has taken me a long time to convince myself to tell someone my story. I am doing this because I believe it will help anyone who has gone through something similar to accept that it was not their fault and help them move on. Well, this is the story of a rape survivor.

The incident: 

It happened when I was 13. I was walking home from a friend's house after a tutorial class and suddenly, a car pulled up beside me. Four guys about college age or older jumped out of the car and pulled me in. While in the car, they punched me in the face and choked me with one of their belts.

Things to Say to Someone Who Has Been Raped

Hello guys, in line with other articles on how to help rape survivors read HERE and HERE, this is about things you should say to a rape survivor. Using these words helps them and also shows that you understand what they have been through. Use them, abuse them (you are only permitted to abuse in this case, lol!) and help someone out there. Have a fab week!

Words to say...

How to Recover from a Rape/Sexual Assault

When a person is raped or sexually assaulted, his or her world is turned upside down. Not only has he or she been violated in the most intimate way possible, he or she has to heal from the assault. But...how? Society is still afraid to talk openly about a rape or sexual assault; people may not know how to approach the rape victim - afraid to say the wrong thing.

Every person who has been sexually violated responds differently to the crime - some become horribly depressed while others become very angry. All emotions are fair responses to a rape or sexual assault.

Here are a list of tips for talking to a rape victim as well as how to help yourself recover from a rape or sexual assault. Note that for the purposes of this resource, we are using rape and sexual assault interchangeably.

                              How To Recover From A Rape/Sexual Assault:

If you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault, you may not know how to feel normal again. You may feel that the emotional pain of a rape or sexual assault will never go away. You may feel shame, depression, anxiety and fear after the attack. No matter how you feel, know that things will become better, you will learn to heal, and life will go on in your new normal.

Here are some tips for recovering from a rape or sexual assault: