"Dudu's Life Experience"

The following story is a true story of a young girl, who in her short life has experienced more than most of us will ever experience in our lifetime. We have changed her name to protect her confidentiality.

We share her story, not to be sensationalistic, but to drive home the importance of primary prevention. Psychotherapy, important and essentially as it is, is second prize. It can never completely erase the experiences she has had. She will always carry these scars with her. We hope that, with continued therapy, we will soften the impact of these experiences, positively influence her take on life and the lens through which she views life, and show her that not all people are bad, but that some care.

It is against this background that we would like you to read the following story.

Dudu was nine years old when she lost her father. He had been sick for a year. Six months later, she lost her mother, also from a protracted illness. Her other brother died tragically, he was ‘neck laced’ with burning tyres while she was in grade 1.She, together with her three siblings were left in the care of their paternal grandmother. She too died, presumably from natural causes in 2005.

Dudu’s mother used to physically abuse Dudu. She would give Dudu hard beatings and on one occasion, she beat her so bad that she could not walk for days because of her injuries. She was also emotionally abused; she was called all sorts of names ranging from ‘idiot’ to a whore.

After being sent from one relative to another, she and her siblings finally moved in with a cousin, who is in her mid-twenties. We met Dudu for the first time in 2006, at age 13 years. The teachers referred her to us because ‘she was an angry child’ and was aggressive towards other children. We then took her in and started her on an intense therapy programme. She is still receiving psychotherapy albeit less intense than last year and is showing signs of improvement.

When her therapist asked, on one her therapy sessions, what her wishes in life are, she said:

• She would like to succeed with her studies,
• She wishes that boys would stop their nasty behaviour, and
• She wishes for peace of mind.

  We strive to help her attain her wishes.