Foundation members march against gender-based violence
During the March, the Jes Foord Foundation also revealed the house that the foundation hopes will be its future home.
THE rain did not dampen the spirits of those walking to raise awareness of gender-based violence on Sunday, December 10.
The march, which was organised by the Jes Foord Foundation (JFF), was in support of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.
Walking along the Hillcrest Main Road, marchers were shouting, ‘no means no’ and ‘stop abuse’.
The march started from the Oxford Village parking area and progressed to the house opposite Mayfair Café, which the foundation hopes will be its future home.
Also read: Celebrating a decade of Jes Foord’s journey
Launched in 2008, the foundation is rooted in the personal journey of Jes Foord and her horrific gang rape by four men. As part of her healing process, she chose not to be another rape victim but rather a survivor and learnt to become a spokesperson campaigning on behalf of women and children who had gone through similar harrowing experiences.
JFF Trauma Counselling is made available to survivors of rape, molestation and sexual assault, as well as to family members and loved ones affected by the trauma.
Plans for the new house
Addressing the walkers on Sunday, Jes Foord said that within the Upper Highway area, the nearest Thuthuzela Centres are located between 43km and 74km away from the most developed settlements.
“When a rape or sexual assault occurs – assuming the victim is aware of the Thuthuzela Centres – they have to firstly wait to get a taxi, which is sometimes impossible due to the time, and then pay high prices for travelling long distances.
“We’ve also discovered that victims can sometimes wait up to 22 hours for police assistance and, in some cases, receive no assistance at all. We plan to implement a 24-hour immediate crisis centre. The victim will be attended to by the district nurse where the rape kit will be carried out and necessary medication will be dispensed. There will also be a policewoman on duty at all times to make a statement,” she said.
Foord explained that they would have handbag production at the centre. “Up-skilling women from local communities is something we feel very strongly about due to the number of women unable to leave abusive relationships, where the abuser is the breadwinner of the household. By doing so, we will eventually have a number of the contents of our handbags produced in-house, including soap, shampoo, deodorant, facecloths, handbags and drawstring bags.
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“These ladies will also be involved in the production of our ‘green store’ items, such as one-of-a-kind clothing pieces and unique handbags,” she said.
The centre will also have counselling rooms, safe rooms and a training room.
“We plan to set up a space to mimic a South African courtroom. Within this replica, our team will run through all the procedures, vocabulary and positions used in court, as well as gently coaching the victim on what to expect during the trial,” she said.
Among other things, the centre will also have a green shop, coffee shop, second-hand boutique, veggie garden, a swimming pool for swimming lessons and a beauty salon.
People who wish to assist in making this a reality can email Jes Foord at admin@jff.org.za or contact 066 440 3604.
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