She is a singer, activist and non-conformist and has been very vocal about her journey and surviving sexual abuse. This Woman’s Month, Moonchild Sanelly, real name Sanelisiwe Twisha, is joining forces with Tears Foundation to help empower women and break the silence surrounding domestic violence and sexual abuse.

ORDEAL

Moonchild has previously revealed how a family member sexually harassed her and when she tried to report the matter to the police, she alleges she was told to resolve the matter as a family. "The cops, both male and female, asked me what I was wearing and why I danced with the family member and said that I should go home and talk about it with my family,” she said. In another separate incident, Moonchild said that as a young girl, her cousin would come for holiday visits and would touch her private part and teach her how to French kiss. “I didn’t realise until I was older that I had been protecting a molester. I kept quiet, thinking I was doing something wrong,” she said. The Big Man singer said later in life she was raped in her room on the floor. “A guy who saw the guy rape me thought I was cheating on him; we weren’t dating also. So, he left the room clearly seeing I passed out. The guy did his thing; I woke up with him inside me with a condom,” she added.

JOINING FORCES

She joined the #MyVoiceIsBeautiful and has committed to inspiring and empowering survivors. “This is something very close to my heart. Survivors often suffer in silence,” Moonchild said. As a survivor of abuse herself, Moonchild wants to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people affected by abuse. It is reported that in the last year, over 67,358 women in South Africa fell victim to domestic violence. #MyVoiceIsBeautiful encourages survivors of any form of abuse to share their stories while protecting their identity. The messaging will be shared across multiple media platforms to help make a change.