Rape survivor activist and founder of Girl Love Yourself Foundation in Nkowankowa says dealing with rape is very difficult.

Camilla Ndlovu, a rape survivor, activist and founder of Girl Love Yourself Foundation in Nkowankowa says dealing with rape is very difficult.

Ndlovu says she understands the struggles that Khensani Maseko, a Rhodes University student who committed suicide after she was allegedly raped in May, might have had to deal with every day.

She says she herself struggled with shame and disappointment for two years after she was raped and could not tell anyone, including her parents about her rape for four years.

Ndlovu says although people are different and deal with situations differently, rape can be a life-changing situation that can turn a person’s life, either for the worst or better.

Ndlovu says she was raped when she was 13-years-old and she had to deal with the shame and flashbacks on her own for about two years.

She says on most occasions she had to put on a brave face in public and smile just to hide her pain and struggles.

Ndlovu says rape victims should understand that they are never alone and what happened to them is never their fault.

At just 23-years-old, Ndlovu has founded a non-profit organisation called Girl Love Yourself Foundation to empower both male and female victims of rape and abuse in her community.