I WAS JUST TIRED - A JOURNEY OF PASSION, PAIN, AND PURPOSE

There was a point I became completely overwhelmed. I was exhausted, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Every day, I was running from one end of the town to another, responding to distress calls. If it wasn't a case of rape, it was domestic violence. If not that, then injustice against women, child abuse, or the mistreatment of girls. It reached a point where I was handling up to two cases daily.

All of this, while still keeping up with my responsibilities at the university, because my NGO could not afford to pay me. I had to keep working to support myself and take care of my family. The weight was immense. The organization could only afford one permanent staff, and the rest of our work relied on volunteers, most of whom could only assist when they were available.

Eventually, my health began to deteriorate. I lived in fear that one day, God forbid, I might collapse in the middle of trying to help someone else. My husband and children became concerned, yet I kept going. The passion for helping others continued to drive me, even when there were no funds. Many times, I had to use my personal salary to keep the NGO running, because I couldn’t bear to close the doors on the women and girls who depended on us for safety and hope.

But the exhaustion caught up with me. I was tired, not just from the volume of work, but from the heartbreaking reality that many of the survivors we supported rarely got justice. The justice system is deeply flawed, and even when we want to pursue legal cases, the survivors or the organization often lack the funds to see them through.

I was also tired from the endless stream of horrific stories. They were becoming part of me, robbing me of sleep and peace, and building up into emotional and psychological strain.

More than that, I was tired because I was using not only my energy but also the resources meant for my family. Despite submitting multiple grant proposals, we continued to face rejection after rejection. It was disheartening.

Research has shown that a significant number of activists experience burnout, depression, emotional exhaustion, and isolation due to the heavy emotional toll of their work. While specific data on burnout among gender-based violence (GBV) activists is limited, the reality is undeniable. According to UN Women and Sage Journals, burnout is a major challenge for activists in this field.

When it became clear that I couldn’t continue this way, I drew strength from a training I had attended. It taught me to pause and ask myself the hard but necessary questions:

Where am I now? Where do I want to be? What needs to change? And what is the next step forward?

From that point, I made a key decision: to build a support network. I reached out to other NGOs and encouraged collaboration. Together, we began sharing the workload. I even partnered with an NGO located near ours so we could work side by side.

This decision has been a turning point. Although funding remains a challenge, we have found ways to keep moving forward. We are doing what we can with the little we have, and I believe that when funds do come, we’ll be ready to expand our reach and impact even further. Women and girls in our communities deserve safe spaces, and we are committed to making those spaces available.

To my fellow activists around the world: please do not walk this path alone. Build a network around you. Share the burden. Your impact will grow, and your well-being will be protected.