As the country continues to observe Women’s Month, the Gauteng Department of Social Development, in partnership with The Beauty Hub Academy, provided a beauty therapy session to women at a shelter for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) in Springs on Thursday.
The shelter cannot be named to protect victims from their alleged perpetrators. Lerato Kamal, a social worker at the centre, welcomed the pampering and said it would restore survivors’ confidence so they feel good about themselves.
“My message of support to all women of South Africa, particularly those in GBV shelters, is you need to be strong and take your power back.
“You are in shelters to rebuild your lives and those of your children. Take every opportunity as it comes,” said Kamal.
She added, “Use the skills development programmes offered in the shelters to the best of your ability so that you exit with a proper plan to sustain yourself.”
The department funded the Beauty Hub Academy as an accredited training partner in hairdressing and beauty therapy.
It provided nail treatments, hairdressing, and massages to survivors at the shelter. The supervisor of the academy, Bayeni Khulu, said they pampered elderly people most of the time and were happy to work with survivors of GBV.
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“Our work is to pamper the vulnerable and eliminate the burden on their shoulders. This industry is about restoring people’s confidence and making them feel good,” he said.
A social worker in the GBV Unit at the Gauteng Department of Social Development Springs office, Olga Phasha, said they organised the therapy session for abused women mostly to relieve the stress from the trauma they experienced.
“We want them to be free and comfortable and know there is life after abuse. We are happy that our shelters are here to assist women to reconstruct their lives,” concluded Phasha.
