Church prays for end to GBV
The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign is around the corner.
Kwa-Thema – The Bethel AME Church in Kwa-Thema hosted a GBV prayer session on Sunday as the country prepares to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign from November 25 to December 10.
The three key guests were constables Sibongile Nxumalo and Thembi Mabote and traffic warden Mpho Mogapi.
Mogapi talked about five types of GBV – physical violence, verbal violence, psychological violence, sexual violence and socio-economic violence.
“Since GBV is committed by men, most boys grow up without fathers or experience violence at home or school. Most men bottle up their feelings and are scared to vent their anger because there is a belief that men are not supposed to cry.
“There is a concept of taking a girl child to school, and this perceives that boys are isolated and grow up without any role model,” Mogapi said.
He concluded by saying it takes a village to raise a child.
“Let it be the responsibility of the whole nation to support and assist every child.”
Nxumalo talked about toxic marriages. She said love is blind because it takes a giant leap to move out of a traumatic marriage.
She said material things like flashy cars, mansions and designer-label clothing blind most women.
“We like to please or are scared of what people will say when we decide to move out of that toxic marriage. I don’t encourage divorce, but if push comes to shove, walk away and start afresh,” Nxumalo said
She concluded, “Let life teach you, not beat you. All that is given is not lost”.
