Bilston domestic abuse survivor to speak at event
"It affected my life for years until I decided that enough was enough and I was going to address it"
A survivor of years of abuse in her homeland is preparing to lead an event to help open minds about domestic violence and encourage people to ask questions and offer support.
Farisai Dzemwa, who lives in Bilston, first suffered from abuse when she was 16 while living in Harare in Zimbabwe when a close family relative abused her in a car.
She said: "When I went to speak to a member of the family about it, somebody I though I could trust, they told me to say nothing as it would ruin the family name.
"I was basically told that as someone had done that to me, I was not worth anything, and I had to live with believing that for many years."
Since leaving Zimbabwe and moving to the UK in 2010, the 48-year-old has rebuilt her life, working as a mental health nurse in Wolverhampton and starting her own company, the Community Integration Hub.
Farisai said the Domestic Violence Awareness event on October 31 was an opportunity for people to come with open minds and leave their preconceived notions about domestic violence at the door.
She said: "I want people to hear stories from the horses mouth and formulate a new view about domestic violence.
"I want people to start asking questions, rather than just agreeing with what society says, what communities say and what traditions are."
Speakers
Farisai will host the event, as well as act as a speaker, alongside five other people who have suffered from domestic violence, including a man who suffered abuse from his wife.
She said she was humbled to have these speakers taking part, noting that several of them were taking a step out of their comfort zones to tell their stories.
She said: "It's not been easy and it's still difficult now for myself and my fellow speakers to tell our stories, but changing the narrative of these experiences makes the discomfort worth it.
"I have been on both sides and I feel so good to be out of that cycle, so I really want to encourage as many people as possible to join us and learn there are people out there who can help you."
The Domestic Violence Awareness event starts at 5pm on Saturday, October 31 and can be viewed here.
The Meeting ID is 296 981 9398 and the password is 4DfmNs.
To find out more information about speakers and Community Integration Hub, go to facebook.com/CommunityIntegrationHubByFarisaiDzemwa
