DAY 12: Broken Women Share their Pain

By Annitah Raey, Kenya, 3 June 2017

What would I have to share and teach someone ? This question reached me by an open call of Age of Wonderlands’ 2017 project. My idea for organizing a Day of Learning was simple, not easy, but straight forward. I have been through abuse both emotionally, sexually and physically. I have worked through it and made something out of myself. I wanted to do the same for women who have been broken and hurt and have nowhere to go. I wanted to give them a chance to share their hurtful and painful experiences as a way of healing.

It was a chance for women to talk, no shame, no stigma, just a chance to cry it all out and have a listening ear.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT DAY?

We had indoor set up so the women would fee l comfortable enough to open up.

It was in my living room. I had planned for two ladies to come help me with cooking.

The ladies were there by ten am. We started with tea and samosas, and toasted bread.

The ladies were nine of them. After the tea we did an introduction session. We agreed to no using job titles to avoid intimidation. So we just said for example am Anniath raey a single mum of two.

We had a bunch of pens and markers in the middle. And sticker notes. Note books for writing stuff. I started out because I was the host.

I asked people to write the smallest biggest thing to them.

This went really well, people opened up and most girls said that the biggest small thing looked so stupid to other people so they never took it seriously.

I then shared my story being the host. It was so sad and touching had all of us crying for awhile, we took a snack break.

We then went ahead to hear everyone’s story.

I will be honest it was one of the most painful things I have ever done. Hearing people talk about so many painful things, so much hurt in one room. It was so so sad.

The one lesson that was very important that day was not to assume people’s problems just because they are not as deep as you are. To the other person that is the biggest problem they have.

And we also learned the art of self love. It’s okay to be hurt its okay to be broken but it not okay to stay that way, you have to learn to accept things and move on.