Photograph — YouTube

Before Aljazeera published an insightful feature piece about Mirabel Centre, the only rape crisis centre in Lagos, Nigeria, a large percentage of the Nigeria’s population had no idea of its existence. However, thanks to a viral social media campaign to save the clinic tagged #SaveMirabel, the establishment was able to raise slightly above $4,000 in less than 18 hours to help sustain its funding.

The fundraising campaign started after Aljazeera revealed that the centre is funded by a Department for International Development (DFID) grant which is due to end soon. The centre stated in their crowdfunding plea that securing financial backing has been unsuccessful so far as many corporate funders are shying away from getting involved with a rape centre. The purpose of the campaign is to keep the centre open for the foreseeable future until a more permanent funding can be secured. The target of $5,000 is expected to sustain 100 patients.

The centre was started by Partnership for Justice in 2013 and focuses on helping rape victims adjust physically and mentally to life after an assault. Catering to a population of about 21 million residents, the centre is a long, dimly lit corridor lined with tiny rooms located in a corner of the Lagos State Teaching Hospital. With a team of dedicated staff, it has treated almost a thousand patients, many of them minors, in just two years of operation.

The centre covers the cost for medical tests – tests for STIs and pregnancy among other things –, medication, feeding and counselling for the people seeking help. Another non-profit organisation subsidises HIV medication and the hospital administers treatment.

The crime rate in Lagos State is consistently on the rise, but rape cases remains the least reported. The reasons for this range from fear of stigmatisation – and societal perception of rape victims – to the average Nigerian’s philosophy of “letting sleeping dogs lie”. The tales of many rape survivors rehabilitated by Mirabel Centre show that rape is still very much a problem, but the social media campaign has served to create even more awareness on the issue by encouraging people to speak up when they have been assaulted.

Credit - BudgIT
Credit – BudgIT

Another question that has risen in the course of this campaign is: what would have been the fate of the Mirabel Centre if the Aljazeera piece was not published? It was reported that Mirabel Centre could not get corporate funding because of the stigma still attached to rape, but all it took was a foreign report –albeit one written by an African– to stir people into action.

According to the Lagos State Government, the state Ministry of Justice recorded over 600 cases of rape last year. This number is not however reflective of the true statistics on rape as most rape incidents are not reported to the police.

This might be what prompted Miss Ezinne Akudo, winner of Miss Nigeria 2013 to start her own project – Eight Foundation Rape Crisis Centre in Lekki Lagos. She has gone further to describe sexual violence as a crime against humanity and infringement on human rights. According to her, victims of sexual violence do not get justice and the required care.

The response so far on social media, Twitter especially, has been inspiring, as Nigerians have risen up to support Mirabel both in cash and in kind, even seeing a few people willing to work for the centre as unpaid volunteers. Many hope that this campaign will be the trigger Mirabel needs to secure more permanent funding.

For all the bad rap social media gets for promoting cyber bullying and other vices, this is one time where they really came through for a deserving cause.

Tangerine
Tangerine
Tangerine

Elsewhere on Ventures

Triangle arrow