Musgrave resident starts NPO to end domestic abuse
Gina Bezuidenhout said she hopes to raise funds to build a safe house for women where she can teach skills to equip women to become financially independent.
WITH more than 30 years experience in emergency services, Musgrave resident, Gina Bezuidenhout recently founded her NPO, Life Ventures which aims to uplift the community through awareness campaigns and skills development.
Over the weekend, the Life Ventures team took to the Durban promenade to distribute suicide prevention flyers. They also hosted a self-defense class for Musgrave residents recently.
“I invited Rob Letang from Tactical Survival Institute – Emergency Preparedness Consultants and Training to join us and teach self defense skills. I handed out a feedback form to the women who attended the class and the most common responses were that people felt it was informative and that self defence is something they need to know,” said Bezuidenhout.
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She was inspired to help others after witnessing social ills over the years.
“In the fast-paced world today, people barely have a moment to spare to look at their surroundings. The situation with women and child abuse in South Africa continues to deteriorate. Violence and murder is becoming even more disturbing, with each life lost,” said Bezuidenhout.
Bezuidenhout said she hopes to raise funds to build a safe house for women where she can teach skills to equip women to become financially independent.
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“Survivors of domestic violence often flee their homes to escape life-threatening violence, seeking shelter within a safe house. The safe house is a crucial step on the pathway to a survivor’s long-term security. We aim to start with a white door facility slowly working towards offering a safe house for the community. Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children. Safe houses or white doors are often the first step for survivors fleeing abuse,” she said.
“Life Venture programmes help survivors rebuild their lives after fleeing abuse. Without these programmes, survivors may be forced to return to their abuser or face homelessness. We gradually introduce them back into the community, empower the survivors with skills to assist them with their new life,” she added.
For more information about Life Ventures, call Gina Bezuidenhout on 076 307 7848.
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