Miss Benoni wants SA to speak up

“Susa is a movement that is aimed at aiding our South Africa,” the teen said.

March 14, 2020

Sheina Razack 2 minutes read

Alexia Cawood holds the plans for her Susa movement.

Miss Benoni 2019, Alexia Cawood, is not only aiming to make Benoni a better place, but the whole of South Africa by starting her initiative #speakupsouthafrica (Susa) which aims to help rape and abused survivors.

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The former St Dunstan’s College learner said she was inspired to start the initiative because she wants to help rape and abused survivors to share their stories, and, in doing so, realise they are not alone.

“This is a passion of mine to help others to draw away from the stigma that they cannot talk about this kind of abuse.”

Alexia will ensure that the stories of survivors’ are placed on social media in the most respectful and beneficial manner to the survivor and others who read what is on the platform.

Following the #metoo movement on Twitter, Alexia aims to provide a similar platform which allows the survivor to share their story with her, which she will post on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, while ensuring the person remains anonymous, if they wish to do so.

“After conducting research on many psychological effects of traumatic events, such as rape and sexual assault, can entail a whole spectrum of different reactions from different individuals.

“Bringing together an audience and community of people who have been through traumatic incidents, and may be experiencing similar post-event symptoms, can help those involved by creating a system of sharing and support among individuals.”

The short-term goal for Susa is to build a platform explaining what the movement is about, and to include facts on emotional, physical and psychological effects of sexual assault on an individual and community as a whole.

She would also like to create a QR code to establish statistics on how safe the Benoni community feels, and these stats will be made public.

The long-term goal is to display the traumatic or healing stories of locals in short articles, mentioning the #speakupsouthafrica movement, and to make the public aware of events in the future.

Alexia is also calling on organisations that specialise in helping those who have been sexually harassed to assist her by providing help and support to those who share their stories with her.