A woman has shared her emotional story of how she survived an attempted rape attack and still managed to complete her postgraduate studies despite the traumatic experience.According to her, she initially lost interest in pursuing further education after losing her father just two months before the admission exams.
However, she later gained admission alongside only 15 others out of nearly 200 applicants and began her academic journey.
While working on her dissertation, she faced several challenges, including repeated corrections on her first chapter which took months to complete. Trouble struck just two weeks before her final submission and defence.
She explained that due to fuel scarcity and transportation difficulties, she had to trek home from campus when she encountered two suspicious men. Sensing danger, she attempted to turn back but was cornered by another man who forcefully snatched her bag and allegedly attempted to sexually assault her.
The woman said the attacker tried to convince her to cooperate, assuring her he had condoms, while struggling to overpower her.
During the struggle, she resisted fiercely and pleaded for help, but the suspect allegedly threatened to kill her when she refused to give in.
In the middle of the attack, she shouted words of faith and managed to break free before running toward a group of students who rescued her. Unfortunately, the attackers escaped with her bag containing a laptop, valuables, and the only printed copy of her dissertation.
Following the incident, her department granted her an additional two months to rewrite and defend her project. Despite battling emotional trauma, she received support from friends and family, rewrote her dissertation from scratch, and eventually completed a successful defence.
Reflecting on her journey, she described the outcome as a testimony of resilience, survival, and grace.