GBV activist walks 448km for survivors
While living at the NG Kerk Youth Centre on Vermeulen Street, Pretoria, Leilani was raped and left for dead when she was only 18 years old.
Rape survivor and activist, Leilani Kuter, 46 from Little Falls, began a 27-day journey in September 2019, covering a distance of 729km, to take a stand against sexual assault and gender-based violence in South Africa.
Wearing yellow, symbolic of the colour her attacker wore, Leilani aims to break the stigma rape carries and raised over R250 000 on BackaBuddy to support and empower rape survivors.
As 2020 marks the 28th anniversary of the traumatic sexual assault that changed her life forever, she once again tightened her laces to shine a spotlight on survival.
While living at the NG Kerk Youth Centre on Vermeulen Street, Pretoria, Leilani was raped and left for dead when she was only 18 years old.
She unknowingly let a dangerous man in his late 20s by the name of Frankie into her room and what followed changed Leilani’s life forever.
Between 1 and 16 September Leilani embarked on the 16-day nostalgic journey, walking 28km per day (448km in total) and revisiting significant moments in her life.
“Every step of my 2020 challenge will be taken in defiance of systemic violence against women, men and children in celebration of our collective survival spirit. I hope the public will get behind me and support my BackaBuddy campaign,” said Leilani.
She founded the YellowForSurvivors organisation in 2019 with the aim of raising awareness around sexual abuse and rape, whilst raising funds to make a difference in the lives of gender-based violence survivors in South Africa.
“Sharing my story was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it taught me so much about the person I am and the woman I want to be.
“I believe the reason I didn’t die on 16 September 1992, is to free others like myself, who have experienced unforgettable trauma and show them that they can overcome and regain control of their lives,” said Leilani.
Members of the public interested in finding out more about the organisation are advised to follow Leilani on Instagram or connect with her via her Facebook page.
