Kwa-Thema – The Gauteng Department of Education East District Life Skills HIV/Aids Sub-Unit held an Anti-Gender Based Violence Awareness programme at the Kwa-Thema Skills School on Friday.
According to the director of the unit, Dumisile Kopa, the purpose of the event was to educate learners on the impact of GBV and how it affects them.
She said sometimes GBV starts with the grooming of victims by perpetrators who do things to get the victims comfortable and not realise that they are being abused.
“Our learners should also know and be aware that abuse is not only physical but can also be psychological and emotional,” she said.
Learners from different schools were invited to form part of the event and to listen to different speakers from the SAPS, the health sector and the Thabang Xaba Foundation among others.
Dr Sekitla Mosheledi from the Far East Rand Hospital said learners should find a reason why they are alive and a purpose.
He said most suicide notes end with ‘I lost a reason to live’ and told the learners when they lose a reason to live they die whether literally or otherwise.
SAPS Sergeant Prudence Ntombizodwa said when learners are abused even by their peers, they should open a case at the nearest police station as the law allows for victims to do so,
“No matter how young you are, you can still be arrested,” she said.
The speakers of the day and teachers from the different schools were treated to a pedicure pampering by the Kwa-Thema Skills learners after the programme.
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