LISTEN: 16 Days of Activism: A rape survivor breaks her silence

The young woman sounds meek and wary as we chat to her on the phone. She's unsure of how to respond to our questions, is prone to awkward silences, and her eventual responses seem tinged with uncertainty. 

It's hard to imagine that just over a year ago, Serusha* (not her real name) was an ordinary 19-year-old living in Durban, whose job and active social life were the most important things in her life back then. But all that's changed now. 

In 2015, Serusha was robbed of her carefree nature and happiness - when she was gang raped by a group of men known to her, after work one evening. The trauma of that fateful night has lingered, and serves as a daily reminder to the 20-year-old of the horrors she's endured, and the difficulty she now faces in moving on from her ordeal. 

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Speaking to Newswatch from a KZN shelter for abused women, Serusha's voice cracks as she tries to find the words to explain what happened to her on that fateful night. She's become a shadow of her former self, and can't remember who she was before she was raped. 

For months, she wouldn't speak to anyone about her ordeal - choosing silence as a coping mechanism, instead of confronting her reality. 

Serusha still struggles to open up completely about the events leading up to that tragic evening; she can't remember exactly what happened to her either, after she was attacked.

All she recalls is waking up from a coma at a local hospital two months later - and being told by social workers that she had been viciously gang raped. She says her life completely fell apart after she learned the truth. It was then that she decided she needed help, and moved into the Durban shelter shortly thereafter. 

A social worker close to Serusha - who asked not be named - says when the girl entered the place of safety, she was so traumatized by her ordeal that she refused to speak to anyone for months. She also displayed worrying signs of a mental breakdown.  

Serusha says she hopes that someday, she'll be able to help and support other women who have experienced similar traumas. Until then, she will continue attempting to rebuild the pieces of her broken life, one day at a time. 

Sadly, Serusha is just one of millions of women around the world over who have been victims of rape and sexual violence. The stigma surrounding rape, as well as the psychological trauma of their attacks - often makes it difficult for many survivors to immediately move forward with their lives - if help is not sought.

As the 16 Days of Activism of No Violence Against Women and Children campaign begins to draw to its close, we spoke with a Durban-based social worker about the effects of sexual violence on the psyche of victims.

Philile Blose is a social worker at Kerr House: Durban Hospice for Women - a safe haven for abused and destitute women, which has been operating as a shelter for women in crisis since 1951.

Blose says that as devastating as Serusha's ordeal has been, her case is not unique.

"We tend to hear about cases like this often, and it is disturbing. We sit with these women and we see all the symptoms they come in with and most often than not we are able to help. But the time taken is time lost, and the ladies have already lost a few years trying to get over the trauma," she said.

Blose says as South African's, we need to be committed to stopping abuse against women and children on an ongoing basis - not just during the 16 Days of Activism.

She says society needs to be more vigilant about identifying victims of abuse - especially children.

"We must be able to see the signs of a person who is grooming a young lady for rape. Usually material things are used to lure a child for rape. It can be a father, a cousin, a brother - even a community member. We cannot really tell who it could be but we need everyone to get involved in order to stop what's happening to our young girls," she said.   

For further information, contact Kerr House: 031 303 2912