Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1190

Tonight's special guest is Maya Hope Kitwana from Ontario, Canada, abuse survivor and author of "Breaking My Silence." She says, "My Caribbean heritage offers me a different perspective, and my humble beginnings keep me grounded. Like many people who came from this background, I have a powerful story to tell. My story is one of abuse – any abuse you may imagine – yet, I have endured." Maya's journey has taken over thirty years. "I want my story to provide a lighthouse for others who have suffered abuse…a way out, and a way to love themselves." In her memoir, Maya exposes her truth, showing from the inside out what was required for her to survive her childhood nightmares, nightmares that no longer torment her. Yet Maya's story is not just a recap of unflinching secrets. This is a graphic, but fearless look at a woman’s journey through rape, incest, and abandonment—and her movement toward hope, healing, intimacy, and love. "I suffered a great deal of abuse growing up and carried the weight and shame of those acts for over thirty years. After decades of silence, and still struggling with my past abuse and my pain seeping into my relationships, I had to take a look at my life and legacy," she writes. "I knew I had to do something to help myself so I could help my children. I undertook therapy and began writing a journal about my past. I had to stop blaming myself." Maya concludes, "Talking and writing have been the greatest and most powerful therapeutic processes for me. I am grateful for the inspiration I received and the wisdom I have now. Hopefully, this book will help someone."