The fight against GBV continues
The Kuhluka Movement in Eldorado Park encourages all victims of Gender-Based Violence to attend their support groups.
Desiree Sinclair from Kuhluka Movement also known as coach Dee in Eldorado Park shared her experiences on helping women who are victims of Gender-based Violence (GBV).
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Sinclair is a survivor of GBV and she shared that the Kuhluka Movement is an organisation against GBV and fights for the rights of women.
“I am a pillar of support. I supervise the circles of support. We create a safe space for women to come and talk about what they are going through. When I was going through the abuse, I had no one to talk to. I had to go to the church and they told me that I need to be submissive to my husband. They would keep sending me back to the abuser,” shared Sinclair.
The life coach now under Kuhluka Movement runs support groups at Greater Love Ministries on Tuesdays at 7pm and on Wednesdays at 3pm in Eldorado Park, extension 8, also known as Mahala Park.
Sinclair explained that she has seen a huge difference in the women who attend the support group sessions. “We do not only speak about our problems but we also prepare lessons on GBV for them. We also offer skills development so we will have local organisations to teach them a skill, whatever training we can get for them we take it,” she added.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, especially during Level 5, Sinclair confirmed that numbers of GBV cases increased as she had witnessed it. She recalls creating a Whatsapp group where the ladies could contact them and if they needed one on one assistance, they got it.
“There are so many other factors that need to be considered when it comes to GBV cases, sometimes we need to assist with the children who needs to be placed into foster care, I have to go to court for protection orders. I find myself always at the police stations trying to open cases.”
“GBV happens at night, I don’t think that the police stations and the victim empowerment centre understand that. The centres for help are closed at night so we are then called out and we need to assist because we cannot tell victims that they must go the next morning to the victim empowerment centre, they need the help immediately,” Sinclair shared.
She also mentioned that there are organisations such as Ladies of Hope in Ennerdale that assist them.
The life coach admitted that the support groups still assist her with dealing with her trauma because sometimes she would get triggered by another woman’s story.
Sinclair’s concern now is the increase in number of school girls who are finding themselves in abusive relationships.
“We need to start advocating against GBV at schools because things are changing, school girls are dating older men but even the ones who are dating in their age groups also experience GBV. I don’t know what it is but we need to find out why our young boys are so angry.” “It is becoming so common that girls are starting to believe that the abuse is because he loves them. I don’t understand how teachers can teach about sex but don’t teach about GBV, the signs and how to seek help,” she concluded.
If you would like to join the support groups from GBV, you can contact Desiree Sinclair on 072 728 8778.
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