Totya Platform - #BreakTheSilence

Morten Frøiland is organizing this fundraiser.

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Totya Platform - #BreakTheSilence

Hi! My name is Morten Frøiland. I come from Germany, am 20 years old and I work as a volunteer with Totya Platform in Mpigi, Uganda.

Who are we?

Totya Platform is a non-profit organization that provides support to victims of sexual violence by means of Peer Groups, Life Coaching/Counselling: in-person and online, as well as medical and legal support for severe cases. Our service is free and available to all survivors of sexual violence.

We envision a world where every individual has a right to a fair and just life, free from sexual violence traumas.

The Problem

The Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (2016) indicates that up to 22% of women aged 15 to 49 in Uganda had experienced some form of sexual violence. The report also shows that every year, 13% of women aged 15 to 49 report experiencing sexual violence, meaning more than 1 million women are exposed to sexual violence every year in Uganda. Additionally, according to UNICEF, of Ugandans aged 13-17 years, one in four girls (25%) and one in ten boys (11%) reported experiencing sexual violence in 2017. These are only the known numbers. The number of unreported cases is estimated to be even higher. This is due to insufficient awareness of this problem in society.

The Culture

Talking or sharing about sexuality and sexual offenses like rape, defilement(,) and many others are considered shameful and taboo. Many victims of sexual harassment and violence don't even know that they have been abused due to insufficient awareness of the problem in society. Those who have been abused and are aware of that, often have no place to get support because they are silenced by the fear of judgement, stigmatisation, blame and ridicule from family and society. It is worse for male survivors because of the societal assumption that they are the abusers and can't be abused. They often end up suffering in silence and believing that something is wrong with them while staying dis-empowered. Sexual violence is therefore a problem faced by individuals of all genders, ages and ethnic heritages.

The Solution

To make our vision of a world without sexual violence become reality, we tackle the problem from different directions. We have several services that focus on individuals that are victims of sexual violence as well as creating communal awareness. Victims of sexual violence can reach out to us through our website, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter message and a toll-free hotline. This way they can share their experiences and ask for help anonymously. We offer them emergency evacuations from the location of abuse and medical emergency treatment, as well as further medical examinations and treatment and legal support, so they can get justice. In addition, they can take advantage of our psychological support programme. Our counselling and coaching session can be a place for "thawing". One can free themselves from the troubling effects of trauma and move into growth; from shame, guilt and "living in trauma-land" to what has been called "survivor pride". Sexual violence can jeopardize a person's economic well-being, often leading to homelessness, unemployment, interrupted education, health and mental health struggles. In turn, living without one's basic needs can increase a person's risk for sexual victimization. Therefore our Livelihood Programme aims to create opportunities to empower survivors to develop their socio-cultural and economic status. Through various partnerships, Totya Platform sets up diverse skill development training. These pieces of training take place in localized self-help groups and are intended to enable all participants to break the cycle of poverty and income indecency which is the number one cause of sexual abuse.

But the problem can not be solved without awareness in society. Therefore we have our Advocacy Programme. Our Advocacy Programme's overall objective is to prevent and put a full stop to all forms of sexual violence. It focuses on a change of mindset in society, informing and educating the public on the realities of sexual violence, its effects on the survivors, their families and the community at large. We educate the public through our social media platforms, radio shows, flyers, stickers, school and community events and discussions, where we try to get the community involved in the fight against sexual violence. All our services are totally free. There will be no costs for survivors of sexual violence that reach out to us, as we believe that money should not be the reason somebody is denied the help he or she needs.

Your Impact

And that is where you come in. As we are a non-profit organization we rely on donations to perform our services and offer them to the ones who need them. We would deeply appreciate it if you decide to support us with a donation and join our fight against sexual violence. We have some numbers prepared for you to envision what impact your money could have.

For 20€ we can give a survivor of sexual violence medical support. There included are medication against possible infections, an examination for proving the abuse, which is later important in court, and further checks covering for example HIV.

For further legal support, long-term psychosocial help and skill development training, the costs are higher.

For 0.99€ we can inform one person about sexual violence, its dangers and effects and where to get help from.

If you want to learn more about our work and the impact we have already created, please visit our website or social media channels.

Thank you for your support!

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