Anneline is 15 years old. She has long brown hair and dark eyes. She doesn’t smile often and is withdrawn. 
She has distanced herself from her friends, and her grades have dropped at school. Anneline struggles to sleep at night and when she does, she experiences nightmares. These are all symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Anneline wasn’t always like this. She used to laugh a lot and loved being with her friends. She enjoyed going to school and achieved well academically.
But things changed 3 years ago. 3 Years ago, Anneline started being raped by a family member on a regular basis.
For 3 years Anneline has endured this pain and trauma on her own. She tried to cope but the sexual abuse became more regular and the agony became too much for her to endure. She finally told her class teacher who she trusted. The school, then contacted Badisa Kraaifontein, and action was immediately taken by the social worker. The social worker and school were very concerned about Anneline’s well-being as this abuse had affected all areas of your life. For her physical safety and emotional well-being, Anneline was removed from her home and placed into a place of safety. A professional assessment needed to be conducted to gather more information for legal action to be taken. Due to a lack of funds within the family, Badisa needed to cover these costs.
During the assessment process, Anneline was made to feel at ease and she was able to provide all the necessary details regarding the abuse. With this information, the perpetrator was removed from the family’s home and she was able to be reunified with her mother. The last 3 years have been difficult for Anneline, but she is receiving the necessary support, counseling and love. She is happy at school and feels as if a mountain has been lifted from her shoulders. No-one can take away the 3 years of severe trauma, but with the amazing work of her school, teacher and the social worker at Badisa Kraaifontein, she no longer is experiencing this abuse.
*Not real name, image found on pexel.com
