Bryant and Sai

Bryant and Sai have been best friends since the third grade when they lived in the same apartment building and went to school together. Like many children, Bryant and Sai were inquisitive, adventurous and sometimes a bit daring. They feared little. When the resident manager of their apartment building invited them into his unit to use his computer, it was easy to accept. He was friendly and everyone in the building knew him. The boys got unlimited access to the computer, cool videos and snacks. It was during the fourth or fifth visit that he sexually molested them. He warned them that, if they tried to tell anyone, no one would believe them, and their families would be kicked out of the building because of them.

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Bryant was referred to CAH by the Victim Witness Kōkua program at the City Prosecutor’s office. Both Bryant and Sai became participants in CAH’s HEART program. They met other boys who had also been sexually abused, and almost immediately developed strong, healthy bonds with them. CAH’s Enhancements program helped them register and buy uniforms to play sports—football for Bryant and basketball for Sai. They were able to talk openly about the abuse, and also go hiking, horseback riding, play games and just be kids again.

For the first time in almost a year, neither Bryant nor Sai had to be a bully or be afraid of being bullied. They found a place where they learned about healthy boundaries, about how courageous they really were for telling, and that it is okay to be inquisitive, adventurous and a bit daring.

About nine months into the program at CAH, Bryant and his dad moved out of State. Sai felt abandoned. With the encouragement of staff and the other kids in the program, Sai continued to stay involved. He has made new friends, but still communicates with his friend Bryant over Facebook. He will enter high school next year, and hopes to continue playing basketball.