OUR VISION
Child sexual abuse (CSA), as defined by the World Health Organization,
“is the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or that violates the laws or social taboos of society.”
In Sub-Saharan Africa, CSA has been always been devastating occurrence and yet, compared to other countries, there are only a few studies that accurately address its prevalence . In fact , over the years there has been a steady decline in the number of reports due to inefficiencies in reporting systems and the inadequacies that stagnate the proper execution of laws that are in place to protect victims and their families . This, compounded with the societal challenges placed on survivors and their families, has led to the huge gap between the number of cases reported and actual occurrence.
Children who experience abuse often face a number of short and long term negative consequences for their mental, physical, sexual, and reproductive health and well-being. The WHO outlines a number of debilitating disorders including gastrointestinal and gynaecological abnormalities, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, post traumatic stress disorder, difficulty with memory or concentration, substance abuse and body image issues. This raises particular concern for the for future of most child victims and survivors who are at such high risk, yet have no knowledge of where to seek the help and services they need.
At ANADEL Speaks, we recognize that improving CSA reporting is the first and key step towards helping these children recover from trauma. We seek to break the silence of survivors and bridge the gap between reported CSA and the reality of its prevalence. We empower children to take ownership of their bodies and teach adults and children alike, age-appropriate lessons on how to recognize and identify current and potential perpetrators. We also work closely with law enforcement and legal advocates to instill confidence that their voices will be heard and action taken on their behalf. .