GBV awareness spread among locals
During these times, some of the victims are referred to other originations that Usizo works with.
As the number of GBV cases increase in our country, non-profit organisations such as Usizo Community Development go an extra mile to raise awareness regarding this pandemic in the community of Nomzamo.
The Orlando West based organisation was founded by Ladi Phofu in 2012 and registered in 2015 with an aim to assist residents suffering from GBV, especially with mediation and speeding the process of seeking justice for the victims.
Abraham Mjoli from Usizo Community Development said since the establishment of the organisation they have encountered various issues such as having the perpetrators violating the protection orders issued by the police and some victims lying about being abused.
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“As an organisation we do not take abuse threats lightly.
“We try by all means to work with the police and deal with GBVF allegations incisively because we know these are some of the prevalent challenges that our communities face,” Mjoli said.
He added that the organisation also accommodates victims that sleep at the centre, away from their abusers to keep them safe.
During these times, some of the victims are referred to other originations that Usizo works with.
The awareness day saw some of the GBV victims and survivors from Usizo Community Development as well as members of the community engaging with GBVF activists defining abuse and giving solutions on how it can be eradicated in local communities.
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Mjoli said although some residents might still have a misunderstanding of what abuse is, by attending these engagements and forums they will eventually understand it and where to get help.
“Thus far, we cater of about 340 beneficiaries at our centre with the help of local businesses. For this day to be a success, we were able to partner with Kidology for entertainment purposes,” explained Mjoli.
“When we have such events we have noted that a lot of attendees are females and children, so we are calling on men in our communities to be part of the conversation and share their stories as well because GBV does not only affect women.”
After the fruitful engagements, attendees were served a hot meal and children enjoyed some playtime in the jumping castle.
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“We would be grateful for any type of assistance we may receive from local businesses and residents as we work hard to assist victims of abuse,” concluded Mjoli.
