Steyn is the co-ordinator and writer at the Making a Difference campaign’s Domestic Watch, a forum built on educating domestic workers and their employers on various crimes committed in one’s home. The lessons give insight into criminal activities which plague Johannesburg North.
Steyn was inspired to give back to her community after her former gardener’s family strangled her in her bed. She said, “I remember it like yesterday. The intruder used a wire coat hanger to enter my home and made his way to my bedroom. When I woke up, I had two hands around my neck. When I bit him, I realised there were two people in the room.”
She added that the intruders immediately fled before she notified the police who discovered, four years later, that the intruders were family of a former gardener who had worked for her.
The incident acted as a major wake-up call for Steyn, who said that she never knew about crime before the incident. After struggling to get a case number, she came across former Parkview Police Station Warrant Officer Lucky Khumela who reassured her that he would help her with the situation.
At the same time, Khumela began the Domestic Workers Forum, which was changed to the Domestic Watch Forum by Steyn who took over the crime education programme in 2002. She said the change in name was informed by her need, not only to include domestic workers, but also other employees who work together to fight crime.
Since then, Steyn has created 68 lessons and 28 DVDs and trained over 3 000 police officers in customer relations.
She added that her involvement with local police stems from her need to have them understand the importance of the position they are in, using the Domestic Watch Forum as way to create a positive link between them and the people they protect.
She concluded, “I am extremely blessed to do what I am doing. I love it so much.”
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