“After the assault, I thought I would take my own life,” said Charlotte*, an 18-year-old survivor of sexual violence. Charlotte is from Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic (CAR). After her mother died, her father rejected her so she went to live with her aunt and her uncle. One day, her uncle raped her while the rest of the family was out. When Charlotte told her aunt about the rape, she did not believe her. So she went to the police, but they wouldn’t help her. Charlotte felt completely alone and desperate.
After speaking with her cousin, she decided to seek help at the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Tongolo support center, which is dedicated to treating survivors of sexual violence. Charlotte is one of more than 6,000 people who have received medical, psychological, and psychosocial care from MSF in Tongolo projects since 2017 after suffering sexual violence. “The only advice I have to give you if this happens to you, don't worry and go to the hospital,” said Charlotte. “That's how you're going to get your health [back].”