Local charity, Beanies for Beings, is appealing to the public to help support a Diepsloot-based victim support centre, the Green Door initiative.
The centre has become a trusted haven of safety and counselling in the tough township environment. It functions as a temporary safe haven for rape victims as well as victims of domestic and sexual abuse including children.
Owner of the centre, Brown Lekekela, said the initiative also functioned as a women empowerment programme, providing care to victims and connecting them with police and social workers.
Megan Botha from the charity Beanies for Beings said, “What Brown Lekekela and his initiative does is truly something special… He is always in need of care packs and other goods to help the women in these sad situations.”
Lekekela added, “We are an organisation that was created for charitable and welfare reasons, and provide goods and services, not for profit, but to help women in need.” He said he was passionate about helping people, particularly vulnerable women and children of Diepsloot who sought shelter at his centre on a daily basis.
“We see at least 30 victims each month who need love, guidance and support, all with different cases and varying levels of abuse and assault,” said Lekekela.
He and other volunteers counsel those who visit them and provide them with information on what they need to do next. If charges need to be laid, or if they need lawyer support, he will assist them in contacting the correct service providers.
The centre, in a quest to break the cycle of abuse, also provides basic skills training and teaches women about their rights so they can feel empowered to stand up and protect themselves.
The centre has a great need for comfort kits. These kits are put together for victims of rape and sexual abuse and contain about 12 essential items women need at this critical time in their lives.
The 12 essential items in these care packs include:
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
- Facecloths
- Sanitary towels
- Dettol liquid
- Soap
- Powdered milk
- Full cream milk
- Mielie pap
- Cereal
- Rice
- Biscuits and sweets
Details: Beanies for Beings 079 089 3739.
