Defiled by uncle, cousin since the age of 4, Chipulu tells her story
WITH a smile beam West to East opposite from the the sun’s movement but carrying a similar radiance of hope, Norah Chipulu is standing firm despite being molested from childhood by her relatives.
21 year old Chipulu was defiled countless times by her two relatives when she was just between the ages of four and five.
She took time to share her experience with Kalemba with the hopes of encouraging other survivors of such tormenting times.
Following her parents’ divorce, Chipulu started living with her grandparents.
It was at that moment when life became sour for the four year old Norah who was subjected to sexual abuse at a tender age.
“I didn’t know it was wrong because clearly I was young. The first experience was with my uncle and he told me not to tell anyone.”
“I remember he used to come and play with me and in the process he would do the act,” recalled Chipulu.
She revealed that this nightmare continued each time she remained with her uncle at home.
Later on, Chipulu’s mother remarried and the ordeal continued as the step father’s nephew continued where her uncle had left.
“It was a bad experience. I was young yes but I could feel that it wasn’t right even though I was told not to tell anyone,” she said.
“After sometime the guy left and that’s how it all stopped . My uncle only stopped because I had left my grandparents’ home to go and live with my mother.”
Chipulu noted that as she grew up she came to the realisation that she was defiled after learning about it from school.
Following her experience, Chipulu became promiscuous triggered by depression.
“So after I came to the understanding of the abuse I went through, it had a toll on me. I became really promiscuous and started to do the things an average 15-16 year old should not do or be exposed to.”
“I started to have intimate relationships with guys that showed the slightest interest in me that I also felt something for. I felt no one would understand me, I battled with depression until one day I got tired of hiding and told my mum the whole story,” she narrated.
Her mother, being a pastor led her to Christ and guided her to having a personal relationship with God.
Chipulu started praying for help to come her way and enrolled into Bible School to learn more about God.
“I went to Bible School before coming to Evelyn Hone for Journalism because I wanted to live a different life in school, a life of Christ,” she added.
“I use my story as a point of helping others (to) be able to speak. My advice to parents, educate your children about sexual misconduct no matter their age because it’s easy for them to know when something wrong is happening to them.”
Norah Chipulu is healing everyday and flipped a new chapter of her life.
She is currently a second year student at Evelyn Hone studying Journalism and Public Relations and hopes to advocate against sexual abuse through her profession.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba
This story is for general soloshi