WITH the help of generous donations, Sparrow Trust has been able to deliver 100 comfort packs to two police stations to give to victims of crime.
Founding director of the counter-human trafficking organisation, Estelle van Eeden, said on people’s hardest days, all they long for is comfort, support and love.
Also read: Amanzimtoti Methodist Church distributes books, food
“This is what our Comfort Pack Project strives to do; it’s small gestures of love for victims of crime when they visit the Gender-Based Violence Desks at the Amanzimtoti and Isipingo police stations after a traumatic incident,” she said.
To date, Sparrow Trust has distributed 100 comfort packs for survivors of sexual, gender-based and domestic violence, as well as survivors of human trafficking and the system of prostitution.
These packs include items such as a toothbrush and paste, tissues, packet of chips, soft toys and colouring books for children, and sanitary products, notebook and pen, water, hair comb and facecloth and soap for adults.
“Thank you to the countless individuals and businesses that have contributed items, you have made a true difference in someone’s life. A special thank you to the Amanzimtoti Athletic Club, Aquarius Pharmacy, and Doxa Deo Durban,” said Van Eeden.
She said this is a heart project that seeks to inspire and encourage greater victim-centered and trauma informed services to the community, given the fact that assault, attempted murder, and sexual assault has increased within South Africa in the past year.
“During the 2022/2023 reporting period in KZN there were 1 140 sexual assaults and 8 433 rapes. eThekwini alone accounts for 42.1% of KZN’s crime; so as a community we need to say that the perpetrators will not prevail, we will stand beside each other because crime does not discriminate and we have all been affected,” said Van Eeden.
For more information, or to donate towards the Comfort Pack Project, email hope@sparrowtrust.co.za
Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
