The journey …thus far…

Hope…to many, this is just a four letter word with very little meaning. A mirage.
To most, this word has no depth when it stands alongside another four letter word…rape.
It has been six months since we started and the journey has been real. We have seen hope. Felt it. Touched it. Found glimmers of it in the crisp corner of teary eyes. We have seen its fire rekindled with every ounce of silence killed.
As ANIKA, we have learned that before silence prevails, hope must be killed. We have gained the understanding that when the little hope that simmers in the depths of our souls dies; silence will claim us. We started out with a vision of hope. A silent promise to ourselves and to those we hoped to speak for that we will kill the silence that muffles our stories of laden pain. It may take a year, a decade or two…but…the story will be told…the pain will be shared.

It is this hope that led us to partner ‘SEMA / MAPENZI BILA CHUKI’ and The Creatives Garage to bring you the SEMA / ANIKA forums. This has over the past few months been a platform where issues of rape, domestic violence, trauma and gender based violence have been fused with art, poetry and music to stimulate meaningful discourse for a fruitful discussion.
We have shared experiences through our music, poetry and our stories. We have dried tears of reprieve on our shoulders. We have shared ounces of ourselves so that everyone who has encountered these injustices should know that it was not their faults and that its okay to talk about it all. That they can let the pain out. That letting it stay inside will only desiccate them and hurt them the more.
Such has been our mantra. And as we proceed forward with the quest to rekindle hope in the eyes and hearts of mankind, we want to thank you all for your support and continued partnership and involvement with us. We want to reaffirm that we believe in you and in your ability to give back hope to those that need it the most. Give it in your smiles and in your listening ears. Give it in any way possible and in the highest measure you can master. Give it because you can. Give it because if you don’t…no one else will. Just give.
We from ANIKA wish you a prosperous and hopeful new year 2016.