The Nyaka Project supports 60,000 orphans
In a country with over 2.7 million orphans and 1.2 million children who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, the resources and protection for sexual assault victims was non-existent.
Vulnerable children would be targeted, often contracting HIV/AIDS, with no one to help them, with no one to speak to, no where to go.
Police and doctors with few resources chose to see rape and sexual assault crimes as a family matter.
Helpless, without transportation, someone to believe them and the $5 for post exposure prophylaxis or $12 to make an arrest are expenses that most adults in the region cannot afford, let alone an orphaned child.
Perpetrators will often bribe officials, pay off surviving family members with $5 or a goat or run, and that's if the victim is even believed. Some perpetrators have threatened to kill victim families. There are several cases where a young girl attempted suicide.
About the Director - Joe Foster
Filmmakers Joe Foster and Matt Stauble landed in Rwanda on Joe's 30th birthday, the first day of production for Victors. Multi-disciplinary international documentarian (cinematographer, director, and writer), Foster operates Dapp Studios telling the stories of communities, non-profits, brands and artists for over a decade. Foster was a 2019 LinkedIn Compassion Award winner for his work with over 20 non-profit film pieces. His storytelling is a craft that spans many mediums and has demonstrated the capacity to connect diverse places and lives. From producing films about the Me Too movement through EDJA's story in western rural Uganda, to working with Academy Award Winning Directors in documentaries in the US, Joe has also produced award winning travel and adventure films. An affinity for problem solving and attention to detail are remnants from his aerospace engineering background.
In Uganda, an area of economic poverty, survivors of sexual assault are more at risk of STDs, pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS of which preventative treatment costs are the equivalent of $5.00. EDJA ensure that each survivor receives a rape exam and the subsequent treatments needed.
In rural Uganda, victims must pay the police to transport the perpetrators. This cost is $12 – half a months wage. Due to police corruption, most perpetrators bribe persons of various establishments to get out of jail. EDJA has built relationships with police bridging the gap of accountability through supporting a vetted legal advocate to ensure that justice is served.
One survivor of rape attempted suicide twice due to the trauma and stigma that’s associated with it. EDJA's social worker provides professional in-home counseling while equipping survivors with resources to cope and hope to overcome.
Survivors are often shunned, shamed and taunted by some in the community who infer that the survivor wanted the abuse. EDJA educates the community about female rights and the consequences of assault through radio broadcast, workshops and local gatherings.
This film follows the origin of the Edja Program of Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project,
the cornerstone NGO in Western Uganda.
We encourage you to learn more about the amazing work that they are doing.
The Nyaka project supports an estimated 60,000 orphans and vulnerable children,
providing education, food, healthcare and homes for many as they ascend to become learned young adults and professionals.
#edjafilm #victors #yourvoicehaspower #nomore #metoo #prevention #enoughisenough
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