Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2013

Tonight's special guest is Ghadeer Elghafri from Toronto, Ontario. Originally from Gaza City, Palestinian, she's a sexual, physical, emotional, mental, verbal and psychological child abuse survivor. "I am Muslim and Arab .. and both cultures need help in child sexual abuse," she shares. "My mom, my eldest brother and my 2nd eldest sister abused me physically and psychologically. There was sexual abuse from my eldest brother." Ghadeer goes on, "There was domestic violence in my family home. My mom used to abuse my dad emotionally, verbally and psychologically. It seems that my grandma forced my mom to marry my grandma's relative, my father. My mom forced me to marry her relative too. It is generational trauma." In her own marriage Ghadeer experienced domestic violence from her ex-husband. "He abused me sexually, physically, mentally, emotionally, verbally, psychologically and financially. His step mother was also so abusive to me and him in all kind of abuse to get money from us." She points out that this re-trauma causes layers of trauma. "That's why I was diagnosed of having CPTSD and chronic depression! I had a chronic pain due to ankle injury 10 years ago which caused me a disability." Ghadeer is 35 now, and began her own healing journey in Toronto two years ago. She's already learning to give back. "My goal is to help everyone, and mainly my community, because abuse happens there alot but they keep hiding and denying it!" she says. Ghadeer is a talented bilingual poet, and now serves NAASCA by doing special Outreach to the Muslim and Arabic speaking community. She's also started a recovery meeting in Toronto. We're delighted to have her!