Police comfort women and children
YEOVILLE - Creche and shelter operators in and around Yeoville were overjoyed by the Hillbrow police cluster visit and Christmas gifts they received from them.
As part of their 16 Days of Activism campaign for no violence against women and children, the cluster, which consists of eight police stations including Hillbrow, Norwood, Yeoville, Rosebank, Parkview, Cleveland, Jeppe and Linden, braced themselves under a hot sun and visited the creches and shelters for abused women and girls.
The cluster Social Crime Prevention Unit head, Colonel Shereen Swartz, said, “This was a token of appreciation and part of the campaign to make sure women and children feel safe in their communities.”
Speaking at Frieda Hartley Shelter for Women, Swartz said, “Take this time to reflect back on your life, what difference will you make in your life by this time next year. We are here to encourage you to make changes in your lives, We are also here to say merry Christmas and happy new year.” The cluster handed clothing, groceries, toiletries and other goodies to different creches and shelters. The Frieda Hartley Shelter’s house manager Izzy Moabi said they homed women who needed to get back on their feet in life. “Some of them had been abused and some need jobs and shelters, so we are the stepping stone for them to get back to their lives,” Moabi said. She added that they were happy with the police visit.”
The police also taught children on how to contact the police and childline contact numbers before they distributed sweets and snacks to excited children. One of the creche operators, Elida Arabena from Elida’s Nest, said, “We are very excited by this, it’s very nice for the kids. It a good example of how to show children that police are their friends and not their enemies. Police must make an effort to visit schools more often, and kids must know that police are there to help.” The day was full of activities including an assortment of dance and singing.
