Yesterday I can cook, clean and drive, says Tricia St John who doesn t not want to be seen as disabled. - Photo by Vidya Thurab
Seventeen years ago, Tricia St John lost her left hand and two fingers on her right in a domestic violence incident.
She has fought her way through fear, emotional and physical abuse, separation from her children, the loss of her limb, and discrimination, only to come out stronger on the other side. She wants people to see she more than a survivor.
She recently got her driver’s licence, will be graduating with an associate degree in social work this year, and is in the process of writing her fourth and re-writing her first book.
Akende Rudder, president of the Traditional Afrikan Women’s Organisation. - Photo by Vidya Thurab
The main purpose of the Traditional Afrikan Women’s Organisation is to help women of African descent establish their identity, purpose and direction.
Therefore, one of the organisation’s activities is an annual ceremony, the Recognising our Warrior Women Enstoolment Award Ceremony, where women who have made significant contributions to society, or who have proved their strength through their experiences and reactions to such, are recognised.
The fifth annual ceremony took place in Morvant on March 27 in celebration of International Women’s Month where Tricia St John, a domestic violence survivor and author, received the organisation’s Harriet Tubman/ Claudia Jones Award.