In 2016, the Social Justice Initiative (SJI), with the help of a group of businesswomen, raised more than R300 000 for four centres providing care for survivors of gender-based violence.
We’re delighted to report that this money has made an immense difference in the lives of survivors of gender-based violence at Mosaic in Cape Town, LifeLine Vaal Triangle in Sedibeng, and the Ekupholeni Mental Health & Trauma Centre and Gender Links in Johannesburg.
Mosaic, a centre focused on preventing and reducing abuse and gender-based violence, used the R107 000 it received for providing psychological counselling to nearly 200 survivors of gender-based violence; and post-exposure prophylaxis (antiretroviral medication) to almost 80 people, and HIV counselling and testing to more than 130 people.
LifeLine Vaal Triangle provides psycho-social services to approximately 70 to 80 survivors of rape and domestic violence, most of them children, at the Kopanong Thuthuzela Care Centre every month. Thanks to the SJI’s funds of R107 000, the centre employed six full-time lay counsellors from March to September 2017.
The SJI donated R50 000 to the Ekupholeni Mental Health & Trauma Centre, which was used for life-skills programmes, therapy sessions, job-creation programmes and more.
Another R50 000 was donated to Gender Links, a non-governmental organisation that promotes gender equality and justice across all countries in the Southern African Development Community region.
This year, we’re calling on you to stand with us again in ensuring that organisations such as these can continue providing their services. Let’s work together to break the cycle of gender-based violence. Make a donation here (will link to Givengain page).