Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Torya and Her Notes on Ubuntu"

Ubuntu Client Success Story

 

Linda

22  years old

 

As a child, Linda dreamed of going to university and buying a house for her mother. When she was eight, she was raped by an HIV positive man.  She was also abused by her mother’s boyfriend’s friends on several occasions. She never told anyone. She was living in fear and attempted suicide numerous times because she thought she was infected with HIV. The girl who wanted nothing more than a university education dropped out of school at 15. She needed a safe place and significant psychological counseling to deal with years if trauma.

 

Linda was devastated, hopeless, and helpless when she first walked into our offices. She felt that she had no sense of direction. Although she knew that she wanted an education and to escape her current circumstances, she did not have the tools to do so.

 

Linda was introduced to Ubuntu in 2003. After speaking to an Ubuntu counselor, Linda was enrolled in the Out-of-School Youth Program. This program provided Linda and 19 other young adults with soft-skills necessary to get and keep a job, like interviewing skills, time management, and working well with others. Linda continued to see her counselors regularly to work through her past abuse and understands that it is not her fault.

 

Her counselors eventually convinced Linda to be tested for HIV. “I was so scared,” she explained. “I was certain that I had HIV and that I was going to die.” The test results, however, confirmed that she was negative. Linda was overjoyed and the news gave her a new lease on life. She worked very hard as part of the Out-of-School Program and after graduation; Ubuntu helped her submit her CV to a number of local businesses for entry level positions. We are happy to announce that Linda is now a full-time representative for a national insurance company.

 

Linda now expresses herself more freely and has regained a sense of clarity. She has developed a clear vision for her future, set realistic goals and defeated the overwhelming sense of hopelessness.  Next fall, she will fulfill her dream and apply to University.