BY EDISON MARTE SICAD
LAST July 21, 2023, Friday, a learning experience — humbling and eye-opening — took place. Together with some friends, I joined a COMELEC Iloilo GAD Activity, a continuation of its Year-long Women’s Month Celebration.
For now, allow me to share with you, in full, the poem written and delivered by one of the survivors of sexual abuse.
At first, I intended to just get a line or two from the poem and discuss it in this column. But I think it would be better — and more appropriate — if I share the whole poem and give readers the opportunity to learn that there is this association known as CAMELEON that provide interventions to young girl survivors of sexual abuse, aged 5-17 years old, from various localities in Western Visayas (read full description below taken from its FB Page).
It was indeed a heartwarming learning experience. And I hope you, dear reader, may also get to learn about them — or get inspired to help — through this poem.
THE DAY I LEARNED TO COUNT
I cannot forget the day that I learned to count.
One. (snap) I was the only girl in the family.
Two. (snap)I was never alone. I had a best friend- and we really get along.
Three. (snap) all is well- until he trapped me.
I was 8 when I learned how to count, but at that moment-
At that moment when he pushed me down, I was screaming but it seems he cannot hear a sound,
He snatched my clothes, but it was my dignity trampled on the ground
One. (Breath) Two. (Breath) Three. (Breath)
He was trusted by my family.
I told someone but they just turned me away.
I endured the pain that slowly kills me each day.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
I was just 10 years old, and life suffocates me (hands-on neck)
He calls me daughter, but no father should cause the pain I suffer
Once again, I was trapped in my own world,
I wanted to forget so I could move on,
I wish I can be the heroine of the novel I read all day long,
She gets to be saved by miracles, magic, and a winged horse.
I wish I can still believe in a Happy ending
But I am no princess with a castle or fairy godmother
I am a butterfly- I transformed and writes my own chapter.
I may have been wounded and taken advantaged,
I am no longer trapped but free to start again and dream.
My dreams are my colorful wings that break through my past.
One. (Breath) Two. (Breath) Three. (Breath)
I no longer count to hold my breath and swallow my screams.
I now count my blessings and gifts and you- you are one of them.
My name is Bena, and I thank you for letting me live again.
***
Founded by a French national in 1997, CAMELEON Association Inc. have 23 years of experience in providing interventions to young girl survivors of sexual abuse, aged 5-17 years old, from various localities in Western Visayas. The association has three (3) centers: two (2) in Passi City, Iloilo and one (1) in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
The centers aim to provide a safe and therapeutic environment for the girls that will strengthen and heal them from traumatic experiences.
CAMELEON provides a holistic intervention program to address and reduce trauma, enhance coping and resilience, maximize and develop the girls’ unique potentials, and regain their dignity and self-esteem.
While the Rehabilitation Program is its core, CAMELEON also runs two other programs: Community Development and Advocacy.
Through the Community Development Program, the association provides educational and livelihood support to 300 disadvantaged but deserving youths and their families.
They also undergo development trainings to shape them to become actors of change in their respective communities, who help the association in creating child-friendly communities free of child sexual abuse.
The Advocacy Program runs information campaigns to raise awareness and educate the public on child sexual abuse and ultimately, to prevent the proliferation of such crime.
The program lobbies in the local and national legislative committees to advocate for child protection laws and policies. Two youth organizations, Voice of CAMELEON’s Children (VCC) and CAMELEON Youth Health Advocates (CYHA), actively advocate and raise awareness on children’s rights and youth reproductive health in the communities through lectures and workshops.
Together, these 3 programs work together to bring change to the communities and vulnerable children through prevention (Advocacy Program), healing (Rehabilitation Program) and building (Community Development Program)./PN
