Unlock The Door-Beyond Sexual Abuse

May 14, 2015
Hosted by Reesee Zigga Zagga and Denyce Watkis

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Guest Information

Episode Description

Before she was 11, Deb Maybury had been sexually violated by four different people. Her mission is to break the stigma and taboo that surround sexual abuse and encourage healthy dialogue focused on healing.

Abuse: Survival Stories presents I Reclaim My Voice

Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel

Abuse: Survival Stories presents I Reclaim My Voice, provides a platform for men and women who have experienced domestic violence, psychological abuse and sexual abuse, to share their stories so that they may reclaim their voices and help put an end to suffering in silence.

I Reclaim My Voice features survivors of domestic violence, psychological abuse and sexual abuse sharing their stories, as well as powerful spoken word performances and interviews with renowned advocates against abuse. Our message is one of growth, compassion, and peace.

We believe that abuse thrives on silence and ignorance. By sharing your survival story, you can help educate and save lives.

I Reclaim My Voice was created to not only support survivors as they own their stories, but to celebrate their courage, strength and resilience. Join us, not in the war against abuse, but in the name of peace and healing for all.

Reesee Zigga Zagga and Denyce Watkis

Reesee Zigga Zagga is an entertainment photographer whose portfolio includes Dr. Oz, NBA star Chris Bosh, and recording artists Drake, T.I., Ciara and Mya. After experiencing a psychologically abusive relationship, her focus shifted to humanitarian work and in 2012 Reesee launched nonprofit event series Abuse: Survival Stories with the hopes of helping other survivors reclaim their voices.

Since the inception of the Abuse: Survival Stories series, she has organized over twenty events, performed spoken word poetry at renowned platforms like TEDx to raise awareness about abuse, and has received the 2014 Yinnergy Appreciation Award for her work with survivors. Through her work, Reesee strives to bring hope and healing to the lives of others.

Denyce is a writer who uses poetry to help young girls and women heal from the trauma of sexual abuse.
A survivor of sexual abuse, by sharing her story through poetry, Denyce would come to find out that there were others who were suffering in silence and wanted to have their voices heard, but did not know how to go about doing so. In an effort help others find their voices, she created Healing Through Poetry, a foundation devoted to giving a voice to sexually abused young girls and women who may feel that they don't have one. The goal is to enable them to positively deal with the negative feelings that sexual abuse can evoke.
Denyce believes that when it comes to abuse, silence kills. She makes every effort to speak honestly and unapologetically about her own experiences so that others going through the same situations know that they are not alone and that they can heal past the pain and shame. In 2010 Denyce hosted an internet radio show called REFLECTIONZ with the goal of bringing more awareness to sexual abuse and how to help break the silence.
She has now teamed up with Abuse Survival Stories to use the platform of internet radio to help share the same message.
A writer, a poet, a mother, an entrepreneur, and a motivational speaker, the accomplishment that Denyce is most proud of is that of no longer seeing herself as a victim but as a survivor. She is dedicated to helping others who have been in similar situations to see themselves in the same way.



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