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Quetzal Breaking the Silence Initiative aims to raise awareness about the trauma of childhood sexual abuse and the value of counselling in South Asian communities in Leicester City using a community-based approach.
Childhood sexual abuse is prevalent across all communities and backgrounds with 11% of all women having experienced child sexual abuse before the age of 16. Childhood sexual abuse is one of the most under-reported forms of abuse, as the perpetrator is usually, known to the child – making it the ultimate betrayal of trust.
One of the communities that consistently under-reports childhood sexual abuse is the South Asian Community. Cultural ideas of shame and ‘honour’ tend to be particularly restrictive to people brought up in these communities. These cultural expectations can make taking the first step to access help even more difficult and dangerous.
Through the QBS initiative, Quetzal is assessing the effectiveness of a community-based approach to help more women from a South Asian background living in Leicester to access counselling in a way that is safe and respectful of their privacy. A community-based approach recognises communities has having an active role in highlighting and addressing the issue that matter to them.
Currently, the project is supported through fundraising and donations from our supporters.
Between 2019-2022, the project was funded through the Tampon Tax Fund and through the co-partnership between Comic Relief and the Department of Media, Culture and Sport (DMCS). The knowledge gathered through project will support funders and partners in the sexual and domestic violence sector to engage further with BME communities.
In 2022, Comic Relief awarded £50 000 continuation funding in support of the project. The project, which was due to terminate in March 2022, continued until December 2022.
Big Thank You
Thank you for taking the steps towards their recovery and inspiring others in their community to believe that healing is possible
dr Marie Lefebvre – Project Facilitator for Comic Relief QBS 2019-2022
Shabnum Popat – Clinical Lead
Aisha Kadiri – Administrator
Mary Allen & Kirsty Beecroft – Receptionist
Hollie Venn (past) Deborah Knight (current) – CEO
Jessica Chauhan
Rina Metha
Becky Nixon at Ideas to Impact
Mary Healy
Nikhil Mistry Video Production
Aishwarya Padmanabhan from Embodied Yoga
dr Japjeet Kaur from Shunya Kundalini Yoga
Climate Action Leicester Leicestershire
Ladies from Gheeta Bhavan Temple
H.O.P.E. Training & Consultancy
Let’s Talk About Sexual Violence
NCS Teams 2020,2021,2022 and changemakers supported by Leicester Education Business Company LEBC
Peepul Centre Asian Circle Chai Day
South Asian Health Action
BBC Radio Leicester
Our Local Councillors
Participants and attendees to our events, community discussions and online awareness-raising sessions as well as followers on social media
© 2020 The Quetzal Project. All rights reserved.
