NPO against woman and child abuse receives grant through Vital Awards
The Vital Foundation is a funding and information-sharing organisation that supports non-profit organisations in eradicating the scourge of woman and child abuse. And its Vital Awards campaign draws support from all South Africans across the country, who each month nominate an organisation committed to fighting woman and child abuse, to receive a donation of R35,000. Nominees are then entered into a draw to win a Samsung tablet.
Philisa Abafazi Bethu, Xhosa for "heal our women", is a six-year-old non-profit, non-governmental organisation working with women and children victims of sexual and physical abuse. The organisation was the first winning nominee of the Vital Foundation's monthly Vital Awards, which kicked off on 18 August and is running until 25 November 2014.
Philisa Abafazi Bethu was nominated by Amanda Yon-Pietersen, whose mother has been involved with the NPO.
"I was very shocked as I didn't know about the Vital Awards," says Lucinda Evans, Founder and Director of Philisa Abafazi Bethu. "I'm exceptionally grateful to Vital because the award is putting the spotlight on a community that I love with all my heart, and which may not have the fields of blossoming flowers it's named after, but has good people doing amazing work."
Lavender Hill is a hotbed of gang violence in the Western Cape. In 2011, the army was called in to try to restore order after it was reported that 64 people had been shot in a six-month period, and in 2012, 23 people were murdered within a six-week period.
Philisa Abafazi Bethu consists of a safe house, a support group for young women and another for elderly women, an art-therapy programme for children, and an after-care programme for kids.
Towards a counselling room and skills development programme
Commenting on where the money will go, Lucinda says, "Half of it will be used to build a counselling room in the house of volunteers, and the other half will be used to buy equipment for the skills development programme."
The volunteers' home, which is in an informal settlement, will double as a safe meeting place and counselling centre for women living in the community. Lucinda explains: "Because there's a lack of safe community meeting areas for women from informal settlements, often they have to walk far to gather together. Up till now they've been meeting in my garage."
The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is purported to be among the highest in the world. An estimated 500,000 rapes take place in the country every year, with many of them going unreported. The economic cost to the country is significant too. In a study conducted three years ago by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the average cost to the victim and her family of each domestic violence incident was just over R4,800. Offset against an average monthly income of R3,400, this results in a household deficit of R1,400.
George Grieve, MD of Vital Health Foods, says, "Business can no longer sit back and do nothing about an issue that affects not only civil society, but our economy as well. We have to do more." R1 from every Vital Health Foods supplement sold through leading retail outlets around the country is donated to the Vital Foundation, which was founded in August 2013. In the past year, Vital has raised R3,9 million in this way.
Andrea du Plessis, Vital Foundation spokeswoman, says, "The beauty of the Foundation is in its funding model: while you're looking after your health and that of your family, you also make a difference to the lives of others."
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