The pen is mightier than the sword
WRITING has been proven to heal and it is said that the pen is mightier than the sword.
This is exactly what activist and humanitarian Latifah Jacobs embarked on when she decided to compile a book with the contribution of survivors of abuse.
The book, A Letter to my Perpetrator, is the victim’s voice, speaking to their abusers. It comprises poems and letters from different survivors from all walks of life and is filled with real emotions flowing from each survivor.
Jacobs, a single mother, shared her idea with publisher Haroldene Tshienda of Tshienda Publications and the women immediately got to work.
Jacobs said often after court cases were done and the perpetrators locked away, the victims were left with the pain and had not had the opportunity to confront the person or people who caused harm to them physically, emotionally or verbally.
“Inside the book you’ll read real letters, poems, stories from people who have lived through horrendous trails of abuse,” said Jacobs. “A Letter to my Perpetrator is not written by victims, it’s written by survivors who used this tool as an outlet to share their pain, turmoil, hurt, loneliness, trauma and sadness ,but also the triumph over misfortune, tragedy and loss.
“These survivors took all of their being to share their stories with the world so the healing can begin. When the secret is no longer in the darkness of silence, it begins to lose its hold and control.”
Jacobs said while the spotlight is always on court cases and the “16 days of activism for no violence against women and children” campaign, abuse does not have a specific time period. “Violence surrounds us 365 days, not just during 16 days of activism,” she said.
“The book tells of how the emphasis is placed on violence only during the 16 days ... “Is 16 days really enough to put emphasis on the violence that occurs every day? “It is the opportunity for a survivor to address his or her perpetrator, whether they get the letter or not.
“So much emphasis is placed on the court case and the perpetrator, no one thinks of the after-effect, when the court case is done and what then? Having your perpetrator sentenced does not give closure to a survivor or the family of a victim who has passed on.”
One of the survivors is Carmelita Ross from Saldanha. “My role in the book is that of a poet,” she said. “I see myself as a poet because my passion began in 2020 to write. I write about my own experiences and I share what our community is enduring.
“I speak for those who feel like they do not have a voice and are afraid to speak out. My message is to kill the silence and to let our voices be heard so we can overcome fear and face our perpetrators.”
Tshienda said Jacobs’ book allowed her to face her perpetrators, whether they heard her voice or not; for her it was a release, a start of healing. “After Latifah confided in me with her vision, I thought: “What a selfless act,” she said.
“She is planning on writing an autobiography but first wanted to publish letters and poems of women from all walks of life who went through or are still going through tough times because they can’t find closure or want to say something to their perpetrators.
“I told her, let’s do it, and in just a few months we made a call for submissions. My personal letter brought closure to me ... As long as I have forgiven him or her, I have freedom in a way because I didn’t keep my feelings for myself; I wrote them down.”
The book will be launched in November 2022 and will retail at R200. For more information about the book contact Tshienda Publications at info@ tshiendapublications.co.