At age 11, Tabitha Mpamira, a mental health therapist and activist, was assaulted by her uncle. She never told anyone and chose to keep that pain to herself, fearing that she would not be heard or believed.
Harbouring that pain and trauma for years was rough, but in 2015, she encountered yet another appalling scenario that would suddenly lead to her healing, and that of many other victims of sexual assault.
Mpamira recalls her visit to volunteer at Nyaka, a non-profit in Southwestern Uganda that provides free education for children orphaned by AIDS, where she met a nine-year-old who had been raped, and the perpetrator had offered a goat as an apology. The whole community apparently knew but had accepted this as a normal thing that happens to girls.
In the week that followed, two more girls came forward including a five-year-old who had been assaulted by her HIV positive grandfather, but because the family couldn’t afford the medical bill, the little girl was left to suffer life-long consequences, she recounts.
Mpamira delivering her speech at TEDx.
That is when it occurred to her that she had to do something.
"I knew that if nothing had changed since my own experience, it was up to me to change the future for my daughters. I refuse to live in a world where girls are given the message that they are not valuable,” she says.
After her encounter with those girls, she chose to go for therapy to work on her trauma and use her experience, as well as her education to help others do the same.
"I am a survivor and many women I know are too, statistics are one in three women experience violence globally. But it was those three little girls that made me realise this will never end until we all stand up and end the silence.”
The foundation has supported over 150 survivors.
Mpamira is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of mental health therapist practice and currently in her fifth year of pursuing a PhD at Western Michigan University, in the United States.
Rise of a foundation
In 2015, Mpamira set up Edja Foundation as a platform to provide free medical, legal, and mental health services to survivors of sexual assault in East Africa.
Her foundation has been based in Uganda, but she is replicating her model in Rwanda this year, with intentions of interrupting intergenerational trauma and providing healing, justice and prevention of sexual violence.
The foundation has supported over 150 survivors, has arrested over 60 perpetrators, and reached over 5000 people through advocacy in Southwestern Uganda (where it is operating).
"The community was empowered to take on the work, now scaling to Rwanda until we cover all of East Africa,” the activist says.
Despite the efforts, Mpamira agrees that sexual abuse continues to be a challenge. With this, she notes that it’s the patriarchy and value placed on girls and women, that’s still holding the fight back.
Mpamira is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of mental health therapist practice. Photos/Courtesy
"Most importantly, we have to end the silence that surrounds the issue. The work has to be holistic - prevention, healing and justice.”
She, therefore, wants to inspire more survivors to speak up. "I am a big believer that when we are silent, we give our power to the perpetrators. I want to equip parents, children and communities with prevention, healing/coping skills, then challenge the political arena to make, and enforce laws that protect children and women.”
Achievements
Mpamira is also a motivational speaker and consultant on sexual and gender-based violence.
She is currently living in the United States and her work has been widely recognised and vividly depicted by Now This (a media company in the US) and in the documentary Victors: Singing to the Lions, which has been screened globally, including at the United Nations Association – New York City.
She was also recognised by Global Citizen in 2018 when she won the People’s Choice Waislitz Award, and has been invited to speak across the globe; recent examples include her speech at the Vatican about the urgency of working to end sexual violence, Harvard University, MasterCard Foundation and her widely viewed TEDx Talk on the transforming or transferring of trauma.
A current nominee for The Champion Awards, Mpamira says she feels truly honoured that her work is getting the attention it deserves.
The Champion Awards are a grassroots celebration of diverse leadership. Mpamira has been nominated for the advocate award (an individual or organisation who uses their public platform to promote and advance women’s causes).
"The public can help by voting for me and EDJA to elevate the story and mission of helping heal/ provide justice for survivors and prevent any children from ever knowing such trauma.”
dmbabazi@newtimesrwanda.com
You can reach Tabitha Mpamira for more information via info@edjafoundation.org