International Cult Awareness Month: Sarah

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Sarah is a cult survivor, domestic violence survivor, and a survivor of trafficking and modern slavery. She wouldn’t have been able to name these things as she was experiencing them, or even for some time in the aftermath. Like many cult survivors, Sarah can draw a line between the coercive behaviours that she experienced in the high-demand organisation she was brought up in, KwaSizabantu, and the coercive behaviours of those who abused and exploited her later in life.

Now Sarah uses her experiences to advocate for change. She is a fierce defender of the rights of others and has recently launched Survivor Connections, a resource she built alongside survivors for others who have experienced exploitation to assist them with all the things she wishes she knew earlier on.

If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

EPISODE LINKS

• Survivor Connections

• Australian Federal Police — link to report human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices (including forced marriage), or phone 131 AFP (131237)

• Mission of Malice: My Exodus from KwaSizabantu – by Erika Bornman, Penguin Random House South Africa, August 2021