Group needed for victims of sexual and physical abuse

My name is Pauline Oolayou Alainga, a long-time Iqaluit resident and beneficiary.

I am going to be 37 this week and my birthday wish is to ask someone out there to see if we can get a group together to try to come to a solution on how and when we can try to find, or open, a place where people like me can go to a healing group here in Iqaluit.

What I am trying to say is that there are so many of us who have been sexually abused as young babies and children and adults, and there is just no place in town that we can go to unless we go to get counseling at Health and Social Services.

I have been going to counseling now for about six months, once a week, and I am so happy that I am taking this, but there are so many people who won’t go, as it is sometimes shameful to be seen going to that building, since it’s in a very open area.

I think that if the MLAs or the City of Iqaluit or the HSS can try to work together on opening a place for people like me, that there would be more people getting help and dealing with their childhood sexual abuse that is causing a lot of grief and so on. And there may be fewer suicides if there is a place to go for help.

I am not saying that Social Services is not helping me, because I am very thankful that they have a therapist there and they are the best. If they weren’t accepting people like me, I don’t know where I’d be today, so I don’t want the message to get out there in the wrong way, because I will never put people down, such as the therapist.

I just know in my heart that we desperately need a place to go for healing as there are so many people who have no place to go to get help, unless you go down south to a place we didn’t grow up in and have to go away from family.

If there was a place to go, as in groups, I know for a fact that it would help a lot of people, especially when they know that they are not alone and that they are not the only ones that have been sexually abused and what not. I know that there may be a lot of people who would rather take counseling alone due to being scared or ashamed or shy, but there are a lot of people I know who say they would like to speak out in circles, as it gives them more confidence knowing they are not alone.

I know that we have an AA place in town where people meet who have alcohol problems, so why can’t we get a place for sexually abused victims? We need help too and need a place to go.

I really hope that the MLAs and the premier and the city will hear me out and look into this and make it one of the priorities now that we have the Government of Nunavut. Let’s speak out and yell for help and a place.

If anyone wants to talk with me about this I am very available and not hesitant to speak out as God made me vocal to speak. I hope this will make other people who were abused come forward like me and try to get a group together to start something. I am always willing to try anything, as I am a strong believer.

Pauline Oolayou Alainga
Iqaluit