“I have no words to thank the safe house. They gave me myself back”

Rahel, 22, was raped and severely beaten by her step-brother. But she found sanctuary and a new life at a safe house run by our Ethiopian partner, Association for Women’s Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD).

“My step-brother brought me to work in Addis Ababa. He was a commander in the police. He used to rape me frequently, continuously. I had three miscarriages. I was so ill and weak. It was not only the rape, he would beat me so badly and pour cold water on me so there was no sign of the beating. I tried to escape but he would stop me.

The Deputy Minister of the compound we lived in observed there was something wrong and asked me about it. I started to cry and told him that I needed help. He took me away from the compound and connected me to a woman called Kades, a secretary in his office.

Kades then brought me to the safe house run by AWSAD. I was assigned a counsellor called Fantu, who became my friend. I used to cry all the time, but after three months I stopped. I felt like I was being reborn. I asked her to record my story so that I could get it out of me. That is how I started to change my life.

The legal case did not go anywhere. I had no proof. My step-brother had friends in the court system. Everyone in my family looked up to him. I had called some of my family to tell them what I was going through, but most of them said I must bear it. The safe house advised me to reconnect with my family, but I did not want to. The safe house is my family now.

What I liked about it is that if you asked for support, you got it. The love that I got there made me heal and slowly move away from the hurt. This was love I had not received since the abuse started. I got training at the safe house: education, business skills, food preparation, embroidery, hairdressing and beauty training.

I stayed in the safe house for just over a year. After I left, they paid my rent for three months and supported me to get some basic furnishing. We still keep in touch. I am now working in a beauty salon and rent a small house on my own. I do not have any fear. I do not have any hatred. I have a lot of confidence and I love my life very much.

My wish is for AWSAD to have a big safe house supporting many young women. I have no words to thank the safe house. They gave me myself back.”

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