We survived

We survived differently and survived different struggles but the most important thing is that we "survived".

They thought pain would make us disappear, they thought shame would keep us small, they thought our bodies were places to conquer and our trauma something to bury.

They were wrong, we learned to breathe through the fire, learned to stand with trembling knees and learned to live even when we were broken.

We searched for justice like a lighthouse in a violent storm, some believed in courts, others in systems and some of us believed in family and truth. We told our stories with shaking voices believing the world around us was ready to offer protection. But justice never came, too often the doors were closed, verdicts failed: they broke our trust and innocence. And the powerful walked freely and unbothered.

Still we survived

Not because the world was fair but because we fiercely chose ourselves. We carried anger like a torch, not to burn ourselves neither our oppressors but to light the way forward till we survived.

We refused to believe in lies again;

We refused to believe that silence was survival , endurance was strength pain was weakness. We refused to disappear.

When they shook our innocence and took what they never had permission to touch, then tried to bury our voices.

Still we rose- like thunder after decades of grave silence. We are the storm that breaks locked doors open, we are the truth that can't be buried anymore because we reclaimed our voices.

We waited for justice that never came, watched our abusers walk freely, watched systems protect themselves instead of the wounded and our families protected shame instead of the truth.

Then we learned that justice isn't only what we originally envisioned

Justice is choosing ourselves, justice is choosing to heal, justice is speaking up, justice is building a world where abuse is no longer endured silently:

And together we are building it through our shared stories, our outstretched hands, our encouragement and support where we tell each other( it's not your fault, I believe you, your voice matters, you aren't alone and we heal side by side)

And when we unite our strength, healing becomes a revolution.

When we collectively encourage each other to turn our pain into power,doubt into determination and silence into roar, when we comfort each other when memories ache, uplift each other when the world feels heavy and handle each survivor's story with love and care- our voices weave into a chorus too loud to ignore and too strong to silence.

Finally hope isn't fragile, hope is a warrior.

Hope rises like a sun after the longest night, it rises like a seed breaking through burnt soil and it also rises like leaves unfolding after a rough storm.

From the shadows, we rise

From the ashes, we are reborn

From the darkness, we are radiant,

And we walk hand in hand boldly into the light

Vivian