Keesa Ocampo, Advocate

I used to sit quietly in the back of different audiences at organizational events where men and women talked about domestic violence, survivors of sexual abuse and I struggled to slow down the buzzing thoughts in my head. Over the last five years, I have begun opening up about my story, in a piecemeal sort of way, each encounter divulging a bit more, healing a bit more.

I was once asked to imagine what it would be like to be on the other side. To that, I responded, “I AM on the other side.”

I am a survivor of a long and cyclical story of violence and abuse that began at age 2. I have chosen to commit my emancipation and survival to shedding more light on the issue of violence against children and dedicate this space and movement to the many young girls and boys who have made it through and to those who have perished by its hand.

If you know someone who is a victim of domestic violence, here’s the number to call:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE.

A list of resources in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York and Washington DC can be found on the Anti-Violence Resource Guide provided by the Filipina Women’s Network:

http://www.filipinawomensnetwork.org/vdiaries