On the 18th of July 2020, my younger sister was raped by a community health worker in Brikama Gida. At the time, my sister was 17 years old and had just sat to her grade 12 final examination, GABECE. She was waiting for her exam results to proceed to the University of The Gambia to study Journalism. 

However, her reality for the past 10 months has been seeking justice and safeguarding her dignity despite the challenges she had to go through. 10 months ago, she went to seek medical attention and was instead raped by her community health worker. 

The perpetrator injected her, she passed out and then he raped her. As she is still finding her way to comfortably narrating what happened to her, she has asked that I share her story to inspire hope. Here is what I have to say as her sister, guardian, activist, and as a product of Starfish International. 

The perpetrator was a community member who people visited at his house when they had minor health problems. He was supposed to be a source of hope and healing for our people but instead, he used the trust given to him by the community to defile my sister. 

I vividly remember that morning and how the news of her rape case hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought about all the pending rape cases, all the insults that she and my family would receive, and most importantly, how I would restore my sister’s hope so she could continue to thrive, to go to The University of The Gambia, and to become one of the best journalists The Gambia can have.  

I knew that I wanted her to have all the opportunities I could not have and become all that she had dreamt of becoming. 

I took on the fight not knowing what the outcome would be but believing that there are still good people out there, people who can empathize and make sure nothing else was served but justice. 

I called my Starfish mentors, my family members, the people I trusted, the police, and some media houses. 

Today, this 13th of April 2021, His Worship Peter Adoh Che of the Brikama Magistrate Court sentenced the perpetrator to 20 years in jail, with a fine of D50,000.

As I sit here after ten months, finally being able to breathe and smile wholeheartedly again, I know there are things my sister and I have lost that can never be regained. 

During our journey to justice, we have seen family members who sidelined us and publicly humiliated us. But, also had family members even wake us up to remind us to go to court on time. 

We have received insults from the perpetrator’s family members and friends and have sometimes felt alone in the journey. Not every police officer supported us. Not every prosecutor believed in us. 

But without a doubt, I know having an education, the ability to make good decisions, and the voice to speak up and speak out as a young girl in a patriarchal society, is what made this justice reachable. 

Today, more than ever, I reaffirm the need for us to educate our girls, and to build spaces like Starfish International where they can find and use their voices. Someday, they are going to need it so badly. 

I also call on our families and communities to do a better job in character development, especially in raising boys and men to see girls and women as their fellow human beings and partners.

I also know that we couldn’t have attained this justice without several protagonists. I looked at the magistrate today, and I knew this man was in his position to make an impact and not to get fame, money, or even a good name. 

Thank you, Your Worship, Peter Adoh Che. You have restored so many of our hopes in these trying times, with rape being a ‘pandemic’ as you stated during your address. 

I also want to thank the Brikama Gida Police Station and the Police Main Headquarters for working with us during the past 10 months to gather all the evidence.

I cannot conclude my write-up without thanking family members who came with me to court every day and stood by me as I challenged the status quo. 

To Starfish International, for being the place where I could go and heal, recharge my spirit, and bounce back, and for providing mentors who walked this journey with me to go to police stations, hospitals, and court hearings, I say thank you. 

Since I have been asking for justice for my sister, Ms. Mariama Johm, Yamundaw Jeng Njie, and Media Houses such as What’s On Gambia,  have all responded positively and supported me from the very beginning.

Now, I know this is not the end, not even for this particular one, and definitely not for our other sisters, daughters, neighbors, students, mentors, mentees, and community members, both females and males. 

As we continue to make sacrifices and put our names and lives out there in the fight against Gender-Based Violence, I hope this brings some light your way. 

I actually thought about Marie Mendy’s case as I was heading home from court today. Hopefully, as my sister is going to sleep in peace today, Marie finds a bit of relief as well to lay some part of her soul to rest.

With Hope and Gratitude,

Ms. Fatoumata Saidykhan.

Starfish Alum.