Botswana: Disabled and Abused


Date: July 4, 2019
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I am a disabled person and afflicted with Down syndrome. I have lived through abuse from 2006 up to the present time. One of my relatives does not like me at all to a point where she would sometimes take my blankets and hide them under the chairs. Other times she would take my body lotion, mix it with sand then throw it at me. She did all these things because she was unhappy that I had inherited everything.

I wholeheartedly like attending workshops, the only problem is that I tend to be slow and find it difficult to understand during sessions. I am able to read and write and the only problem is that I do not quite understand budgets but now I am able to do additions.

Business training has changed my attitude because I know that as a youth I must stand on my own feet and engage with social workers to find out about available programs. I know that I should never look down upon myself.

I feel that my situation is getting better and I don’t feel any pain but sometimes I think about doing bad things. My situation is so bad that I wish I could leave home and go and stay with wild animals because I feel that no one can stand the pain that I have to endure. It has gotten to the point that I am even afraid to face other people.

As far as I am concerned, I wish that there could be a home where all the abused people could stay together with their children. A place where we would be fed and clothed and have no contact with people who abuse us.

I also wish to tell people who are being abused that we should go to the social workers and tell them that we have decided that we should be removed from our families so that we can stay by ourselves.

To see myself as a disabled person being able to attend training was a real blessing. I loved the training on gender-based violence as well as being equipped on business skills

May the good Lord guide the trainers wherever there are because they have trained me with patience and love without any complaint. My last words are, ‘continue with the good work and you shall be blessed’.