Stand up for women and children

It has been a tough couple of weeks for South Africa.

We have been swamped with the names of the victims of gender-based violence – Uyinene Mrwetyana (raped and murdered in a post office), Ayakha Jiyane (found hanged in New Germany, allegedly by her stepfather), Leighandre Jegels (shot dead, allegedly by her police officer boyfriend) and Amy’Leigh de Jager (kidnapped outside her primary school).

It is easy for citizens to feel overwhelmed and believe that they cannot possibly make a difference.

But they can. One such person is Brown Lekekela who runs The Green Door Women’s Shelter located in Diepsloot west. Lekekela depends on support from the public to continue his work providing temporary shelter and support to victims of domestic or sexual abuse.

“Gender-based violence is shocking news for people who just read about [incidents on the news],” he told Fourways Review. “For us [who work in victim support] we see the cases from time to time.

“There must not be a state of emergency only when these stories make news headlines, every victim is important.”

Green Door supports those in need from the informal settlement in a variety of ways – it provides a bed for those in need of temporary shelter, provides counselling services for the community, giving women and children who come to the shelter, food, clothing and toiletries, educates the community about human rights and helps those who wish to report crimes against them by providing transport to the police station, social workers and court. Lekekela also helps prepare victims for court and assists them to write statements.

“As Green Door, we say enough is enough with violence against women and children. Men and women must take charge to end this.

“I want to see less talk and more support for those of us that do help eliminate these issues on the ground.”

You can help Lekekela in a number of ways. Green Door needs financial support as the organisation hopes to build more rooms to house more people in need and help with transport costs for victims.

“We also need beds, blankets, non-perishable food [such as long-life milk, breakfast cereal, tinned fish, baked beans, rice etc], toiletries such as toothpaste and toothbrushes and soap, old clothes and toys for the children.”

To find out more or to help support Green Door, please contact Brown Lekekela brownlekekela@gmail.com; 065 2473 643.

Related Article: 

https://www.citizen.co.za/fourways-review/312646/south-africas-shocking-gender-based-violence-statistics/