On the 26th May 2016 at Strathpine Library dedicated authors, volunteers and supporters came together to launch the charity Broken to Brilliant and their first book. The first book is titled Broken to Brilliant Breaking free to be you after domestic violence, stories of strength and success. An opening speech is shared below and some photos - thank you to all who supported the launch.
How many of you have heard of the ABC program Q&A?
On a recent episode in April, a woman in the audience asked the panel a question along the lines of “Why don’t we teach these women not to choose this type of man?”
Other common questions that victims are asked include:
Why did you stay?
Why didn’t you just leave?
Why did you let him do that to you?
Only once or twice have been I asked – “Why did he do that?”
Other things that are said to you include:
“aren’t; you over that yet?”
“well you are out now, just get on with it!”
“when are you getting married again?”
Rebuilding your life after a relationship break down is hard.
Rebuilding your life that has also been complicated by sexual, financial, psychological, physical and / or emotional abuse takes the rebuilding process to another level.
That is 175 reports of domestic violence each day and 7 reports every hour.
How do we help these survivors?
From personal experience, focus testing and feedback from the authors stories, qualitative research conducted by Evans (2007) found that survivors identified a lack of services and supports that recognise the long-term effects and impacts of Domestic Violence overall.
Where do you go and what do you do after you safely left an abusive relationship?
The Not Now Not Ever report found that survivors and service providers consistently raised concerns about significant gaps in services, lack of a unified or coordinated response; but this report mainly focused on the immediate crisis response and transition from the domestic violence situation.
The gap remains, for services that will support the long-term recovery of survivors of domestic violence.
There is not a lot of support available to survivors to rebuild their lives, survivors have expressed the need for more:
Guidance and support
Financial help
Housing
A step by step guide
Research indicated “that most survivors would benefit from negotiating the rebuilding experience in the company of other survivors and from having the examples from more experienced survivors before them as an example of what can be achieved over time.
This ‘mutual rehabilitation model’ would give survivors the opportunity to use their experiences in a positive way, that, in turn goes some way towards validating their experiences.
The book Broken to Brilliant breaking free to be you after domestic violence; stories of strength and success - does just that! It allows survivors to share their story in a positive way.
Each chapter in the book provides the step by step guide and examples from those who have navigated the road before them.
Its mentoring support that only another survivor can provide – it is our mass mentoring model.
Getting to this point of publishing the book Broken to Brilliant has not been easy and the legal review was a major stumbling block.
Most survivors have NO VOICE!
They cannot speak of their events as there has been no criminal proceeding, despite court appearances and piles of paper work.
Thank you to those who provided words of encouragement.
You kept the fire burning despite the many road blocks encountered.
To the women who shared their stories, thank you for being brave, baring your soul and being willing to help others rebuild their lives without financial gain or personal recognition.
To all of you who have supported us tonight and all those who helped us through the legal review thank you.
Continue your support...
A statement or act of kindness will be that “one thing” that encouraged the person to live, fight and feel that they are of worth.
This isn’t just another project that ends with this book.
It is a new chapter – Broken to Brilliant is a new charity registered as a Public Benevolent Institute with deductible gift recipient status.
Our mission is survivors mentoring survivors to create a new chapter in their lives.
This book is a resource to achieve our goal of mentoring.
This isn’t just another book;
it is from survivors dedicated to fellow domestic violence survivors.
May each page you turn guide you to a new chapter in your life.
