We are afraid of the wrong things.

The one thing I'm afraid of is being raped. I could give a robber anything that they requested a cellphone, car, money, watch, anything, but just not get raped in the process. A few years ago, someone broke into my house and they started taking things from the guest room and throwing them outside. We did not know whether the robbers had weapons on them or not. We pressed the panic button, the alarm went on and the robbers fled the scene.

My concern was not the things that the robbers will take because it is things that can be replaced. My fear was being raped because that can't be given back to me. Rape is traumatic for its victims and some victims are silent sufferers. There are many rape cases that are not reported, where victims feel it is their fault. I know of at least two cases where girls were raped and contracted HIV/AIDS. Both these girls could not live with what happened to them and have passed on.

Society respects homes that are headed by men and households headed by women are not seen to have order and authority. Communities are also affected by drugs, youngsters under the influence of narcotics end up doing criminal activities. This means breaking into people's homes, cars or sometimes even rape just to get their next fix. There are few people that are rape victims who are vocal about what happened to them. Alison Botha was raped, stabbed and left half-dead in 1996. Not many woman are able to speak about their pain and heal by becoming an inspiration.