I grew up with my mum and her boyfriend. I had a good life. But then he started abusing me. He started raping me.

At first I didn’t understand what was happening. I was only nine years old!. I was shy and it was really hard for me to open up. I kept it a secret for 7 years.

I made up a reason to move out when I was 16 because the abuse became too much. I went to live with my grandmother who was a marriage counsellor. I never went out and I didn’t tell her what happened.

But then she started asking questions.

“Why did you leave home?” she asked.

I started crying. I told her about how my stepfather sexually abused me. She was there for me and helped me report him.

I thank God for being with me throughout the journey. My advice is that no matter the abuse - small or big - you need to tell someone. Ask for help before it eats you up like it did to me. I should not have suffered for so many years.

Did you know that most rapists or abusers are actually somebody you know? Moving out into safe house is one way to make it stop. Another way is to tell someone you trust. Sharing your secret is hard but important to make the abuse stop.

This story was written by a Tune Me community member.