How do you recover from the dark experience of sex abuse? This event provides a forum to share insights, experiences and lessons dealing with sex abuse, especially of young teenagers. Our daily news seems replete with stories of young women and even boys abused by their care-givers, colleagues or acquaintances. Esther Dankwah, Director of Esther Dankwah Foundation, knows better than anyone what it is like to ultimately have to fight and “run” for her life to survive. Having survived sexual abuse in her childhood, she knows what it means to experience pain, shame, suffering and ultimately survival.
Our organization is committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Part of our mission is to mobilize a network of supporters and partners to address this issue, especially in the Ghanaian context as well as in the Netherlands. Even more crucial are questions on dealing with intra-familial abuse; peer to peer sexual abuse and young people’s harmful sexual behavior that could lead to abuse.
The format of the seminar series is based on a conversational / testimonial style in which the panellists share their experiences of either recovery or working with victims of childhood and child sexual abuse. In addition, the seminar will generate ways for effective & imaginative means of protecting children and young people from sexual abuse. The seminar is opened to practitioners, policymakers, community leaders and everyone with the desire to see the evil of sex abuse eradicated.
Besides the personal testimonials, we will explore the following key topics:
- Understanding barriers to disclosure of sexual abuse cases.
- Measures for prevention of child sexual abuse within institutions (sports schools, churches, company, etc).
- Creating child-centred approaches to dealing with abusers and recovery for abused.
The seminar will close with a fundraising reception & volunteer outreach to support the Dankwah Advocacy Network, our programme for support to sex abuse victims and care-givers.
Dankwah Foundation organizes its annual event to bring awareness to effects of abuse.