Survivor reaches out

Raped as a child of 6, Vanessa Chetty has become a community activist

COMMUNITY activist Vanessa Chetty is a survivor – raped at the age of 6, she managed to deal with this trauma and has become a symbol of hope to others who have had similar experiences.

South Africa recently observed 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, but Chetty believes the country needs to observe this 365 days of the year.

Chetty, 43, a pastor, lives with her husband, Pastor Siva Chetty, and their two children Joel Cameron, 21, and Karyn Mikayla, 17, in Malvern.

She is often invited to talk about her journey from victim to survivor at empowerment workshops. Chetty is also a radio presenter and writer. She has been a community activist for 30 years.

Chetty and Siva started an NPO, The Centre, 17 years ago in Chatsworth, and runs under the banner of The Centre Ministries.

Chetty’s passion to help others stems from her own trauma – she was raped for five years from age 6.

“My rapist was much older and was known to my family,” said Chetty. “At the time I didn’t fully comprehend what was happening to me. Closer to my teens it became a reality, then the real trauma and horror hit me.

“I became depressed and tried committing suicide. I grew angry and at night I experienced nightmares and anxiety attacks. This anger drove me to hate men – the only ones I loved were my dad and my brothers.

“I didn’t report the case or tell anyone because my rapist threatened to kill my dad and hurt my family.”

Chetty said her parents divorced when she was 5 and she was the youngest of six children. The divorce, she said, threw her into “confusion and insecurity”. She struggled to make sense of why her normal family was being torn apart. A year later, the first sexual assault took place and her world started to spiral downwards again.

“At the time, my 6-year-old brain couldn’t fully unpack what happened so I blocked out many memories, only for them to resurface later in my life,” she said.

“I struggled to come to terms with what happened and found myself feeling alone and overwhelmed.

“This led to my eating disorder and later I confided in a friend who suggested I get counselling. This helped in my journey to recovery and healing.

“I did see my rapist again. The counselling and my faith in God allowed me to forgive him.”

Chetty, who is big on community work, is also a member of the KZN Provincial Task team for Human Trafficking.