Tunde was just 12 when he got admitted into a Boarding School. It was his first time away from home, but his parents believed it would toughen him up. He was excited, new uniforms, fresh books, a world of independence. Then the reality was far from what he imagined.

On his second night, a senior student named Desmond called him into the corner of the dormitory. It started with harmless errands: “fetch my water,” “arrange my bed”, but quickly turned into verbal abuse, threats and late-night calls that made Tunde deeply uncomfortable.

One night, Desmond locked the door behind them and whispered, “Don’t say a word or I’ll make your life miserable here.” What followed was a night Tunde would never forget not because of bruises, but because of the shame, fear and silence that followed.

He tried telling a teacher once, but the response was dismissive:

“Boys will be boys. Just toughen up.”

Weeks turned into months. Tunde grew withdrawn. He avoided friends, stopped writing letters home, and often feigned illness to avoid the dormitory.

It wasn’t until a visiting counselor gave students a safe space to speak that Tunde finally broke down. His story led to an investigation and Desmond along with two other seniors, were expelled. But the emotional scars lingered.

Years later, Tunde is now a young adult and a passionate advocate against bullying and harassment in schools. He visits schools to tell his story, urging institutions to create real reporting systems, train staff on empathy and stop brushing male victimhood under the carpet.

“What happened to me shouldn’t happen to anyone boy or girl. Silence only protects the predator. I choose to speak.”