Project Objective

The objective of this project is to encourage and support men and women to critically think about the inter-linkages between culture and gender based violence, women’s rights and HIV/AIDS, particularly on how certain traditional cultural practices are harmful to the rights of women to be respected, appreciated and free from violence. The project also seeks to bring about a realization that the power to bring about meaningful change comes through men and women themselves which is supported by legislation and structural change. Includes training of Community based volunteers (CBV’s) to reach out to at least 100 community members (this has by far already been surpassed!) offering them support as well as to engage in community dialogues with other community members around the issues of culture, HIV and AIDS and the linkages with gender based violence.

Partners

SAfAIDS, Department of Social Development and Avondale Community Project

Area

Paarl catering for communities from Mbekweni & Avondale

Training

Between the 23rd of October 2009 to the 9th of April 2010 81 participants attended the training of CBV's, of these 65 completed the training. REACH currently has 45 active CBV’s - 15 CBV’s from Mbekweni received stipend of R600 each for September & October (trial period) for their dedication and hard work during this project.

Outcomes

This project has been very successful. CBV's have far surpassed the 100 households they were supposed to visit - thus far 2402 households have been visited. An example of some of the cases that have been referred during September & October 2010 are:

72 cases of HIV and AIDS

42 cases of Gender Based Violence

50 cases drug/alcohol abuse

Other cases: poverty, unemployment, government grant issues, teenage pregnancies, homophobia, xenophobia, and prostitution

What is concerning however are some of the following findings (these are some extracts of the door-to-door visit reports as presented by the CBV’s):

"He refused to use condoms because he doesn’t know who infected him with HIV so he will do the same to other because he wont die alone.

Her boyfriend refuses to be tested but he doesn’t want to use a condom and he has many girls

Her family abandoned her because they found out that she has AIDS and that’s why she stays in a squatter camp

He knows and admits that he is positive but he says he wont die alone and that’s why he wont protect others because he wasn’t protected.

She says she is positive but afraid to got to the clinic because of the stigma.

He needs counseling because when he drinks too much he beats his girlfriend for her past mistakes.

Her husband is abusive when he is drunk and takes his money to the shebeen

She was abused by her husband. He took off her finger and she has scars all over her body.

She has two children but doesn’t take care of them. She uses the grant money for drink and does not even wash the children for school.

He smokes Tik (a very addictive drug that is incredibly prevalent in the Western Cape) so that he can stop worrying about he fact that he does not have any work.

Highlights

There have been many highlights but in brief some highlights have included: in Avondale a task team of 16 participants representing 5 farms were formed and held events during the 16 Days of Activism in 2009 and used the media to raise awareness - they reported that they had a much more peaceful Christmas and New Year and incidences of violence on the farms were significantly reduced; Mbekweni CBV's targeted shebeens in the area in an effort to promote condom use and safe sex; Mbekweni CBV's are being supported in formalizing a creche and after-school clinic by REACH.

Funder

Project Objective

The workshop was set up to highlight the need to capture women’s stories of struggle and triumph in a compilation of stories which could provide other women with inspiration and motivation to leave their abusive situations. Several stories were heard during the workshop - stories sad and tragic but also inspiring in that they depicted the lives of women who struggled against all odds to make a better life for themselves and their children. The workshop concluded with participants naming the book “Women out to REACH” and 15 volunteered to submit their stories.

Area

Paarl catering for communities from Paarl, Grabouw, villiersdorp and Gansbaai

Beneficiaries

35 women and 1 man

Project Objective

Awareness raising workshops for female students (ages 10 – 12) and their educators from 5 schools on sexual harassment, rape and sexual violence in order to educate the girl child on her rights in relation to these human rights abuses

Partners

Partnership with the Women's Legal Centre

Area

Paarl

Beneficiaries

50 students & 5 teachers

Affirmations

The workshops were described as Informative, enjoyable and participatory and educators requested that more workshops should be held with all female students regardless of age and further requested regular workshops to empower role players within their school community.

Project Objective

To conduct two one-day workshops during the 16 Days of Activism to provide awareness on violence against women with a particular focus on domestic violence; child abuse and drug and alcohol abuse

Partners

Childline/Lifeline Western Cape and Dop Stop

Area

Paarl catering for communities from Mbekweni, Wellington, Paarl East, Gouda, Saron & Kraaifontein

Beneficiaries

45 women and men

Affirmations

(Comments were extracted from participant evaluations of the workshops and most had to be translated from the local dialect, Afrikaans, to English)

•“I feel very motivated, I can walk away from here with something more than I knew before.  It was a very long session but the facilitators made sure that we stayed focused on the topics.  I also know now that I can do something for my community and this I learnt in just one day” (age 16)

•“The best day of December 2007 so far.” (age 37)

•“I think if the workshop can continue there will change in our community” (age 20)

•“I feel empowered and encouraged to keep on doing what is right and moral to my community.  This really needs to be followed up next year. Every day should be an activist day” (age 19)

•“At least today, I had something to do, something that kept me busy the all day and out of this I gained something’s important, I’m very happy I wish to see them next time…” (age 19)

Funder

Project Objective

To provide rights-based education and awareness on domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape and HIV/AIDS through 6 weekend workshops made up of 3 groups (two weekend workshops per group) catering for a total of 60 women and 30 men

Area

Gansbaai, Blompark, Flower Valley, Baardskeerdersbos, Buffeljagbaai, Kleinmond, Stanford and surrounds

Beneficiaries

38 women and 13 men

Affirmations

(Comments were extracted from participant evaluations of the workshops and most had to be translated from the local dialect, Afrikaans, to English)

•"I feel lovely, at ease and good because I could talk about things that I had bottled up for years.” (female age 25)

•“The most important thing that I learnt about was how to help others with domestic violence. And how to help myself and how to talk to others, and how to respect myself.” (female age 25).

•“I feel happy about the training. It made me feel good. What it means in our lives. I want to share it with my children and friends so that they can know what rapes and so on means for a person." (female age 51)

•“Nice, but also heart-sore because it’s time to leave and to greet and in such circumstances I always shed a tear. I’ve enjoyed myself fully. I’m full of information and ready to practice it.” (female age 18)

•“I feel like another person and I fully believe that I do not want to become an abuser.” (male age 17)

•“I still feel a little scared/insecure to take the message to my community but nothing is going to hold me back from trying.” (male age 17)

Highlight

Deputy Mayor of the Overberg District Municipality, Percival Jones, attends a certificate ceremony of the Overstrand Outreach project and releases a press statement:

REACH plaas fokus op geweldsmisdade

Die Rural Education, Awareness & Community Health organisasie, kortweg bekend as REACH, het Saterdag, 17 November te Uilenkraalsmond vakansieoord in Gansbaai ‘n sertifikaatoorhandigingseremonie gehou vir lede van die publiek wat oor twee naweke ‘n publieke bewussynswerkswinkel rakende kritiese sosiale uitdagings en probleme, bygewoon het. Die Overberg Distriksmunisipaliteit se onderburgemeester, raadslid Percival Jones, het die geleentheid bygewoon. Volgens REACH se Opleiding- en Mentorskapdirekteur, me Claudia Lopes, het die werkswinkel ondermeer gefokus op huishoudelike geweld, seksuele teistering, verkragting en HIV/AIDS asook die onderliggende verband van hierdie afwykings en alkohol- en dwelmmisbruik. Die werkswinkel het die deelnemers ingelig oor hul regte en hoe en waar om vir ondersteuning aan te klop as hul slagoffers van een van bogenoemde afwykings raak. Die deelnemers is daarop gewys dat slagoffers nie blameer mag word nie en dat gemeenskappe moet saamstaan om teen hierdie onregverdighede binne hul samelewings te veg.

Thank you very much for all that you and your organisation do for those that need protection. Please keep me informed about all your projects and do not hesitate to contact me should you require any assistance. I will not always be able to help, but promise to do my utmost to support you. Kind Regards, Percival Jones, 21 November 2007.

Funder

Overberg District Municipality - Overstrand

Project Objective

To provide rights-based education & awareness on domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape and HIV/AIDS through 10 weekend workshops made up of 5 groups (3 groups of women and 2 groups of men - two weekend workshops per group) catering for a total of 90 women and 60 men 

Area

Swellendam and surrounds

Beneficiaries

71 women and 22 men

Affirmations

(Comments were extracted from participant evaluations of the workshops and most had to be translated from the local dialect, Afrikaans, to English)

•"I used to hit girls I made their faces ugly. They laid charges against me but I didn't [care]. I am not scared I must first go to jail before I listen but then after I left [the workshop] I realized that it was wrong.I thought hard about what you guys taught me.And now I have changed. And I am happy about that."

•"I feel very fortunate. I reduced drinking and smoking dagga (marijuana) and everything is better with my life. My children were very over me - I spoke with them and they did what I said. I don't hit them anymore. We respect each other in the house."

•"I learnt about domestic violence - it hurt deep inside because I felt guilty but as I left on that Sunday [from the workshop] I felt deep in my heart that I must definitely change. I arrived at home my wife was drunk but everything was fine...I did not get cross...Now there is a difference in my life over these last two weeks. Thank you that I came. Once again many thanks."

•I learnt and have adapted how I must live at home.  My wife and I talk about household problems and decided that it is unnecessary to take each other on and [it's better] to give each other a turn to solve different problems.  We also keep our children in mind and now can also take their feelings into account. I still smoke dagga (marijuana), if my friends smoke I still feel a tendency [to join in] and I am struggling to leave it. The first day we got [to the workshop] I knew these people were going to change my life. I know more about domestic violence now and I will never do it again. I personally feel very content and lucky about what REACH has taught me.

•"My father and I were at loggerheads about something and I decided when I left [the workshop] that I wasn't going to argue with my parents over certain things anymore and I decided to stop stressing and I walked away from him and went to sit and think and a while later I return and asked him if he wasn't my father, because a father speaks to a son or daughter, not shout or argue, I am grown up and I will understand what he is trying to saying to me and afterwards we talked nicely together and laughed and thereafter we didn't fight with each other anymore."

•"When I got home on Sunday [after the workshop] my wife was drunk and the house was dirty. I wanted to hit her but I didn't. When she sobered up we talked about what I learnt at the workshop. She said she wasn't going to do it again. I tossed out the wine. I felt embarrassed to see how she had been acting in front of other people.

Funder

Project Objective

To provide rights-based education & awareness on domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape and HIV/AIDS through 6 weekend workshops made up of 3 groups (two weekend workshops per group) catering for a total of 90 young female women

Area

Swellendam, Barrydale, Suurbraak, Buffeljagsrivier, Infanta & Malgas

Beneficiaries

61 women

Affirmations

(Comments were extracted from participant evaluations of the workshops and most had to be translated from the local dialect, Afrikaans, to English)

•"The most important thing I learnt today was that women do have rights and that the community can stand together and that the police can stand behind us... everyone was lovely and I hope we are still going to work nicely together again - I look forward to it. What I learnt I will take with me and use. Thank you." (age 25)

•"I...did not know that domestic violence played such an important role in people's lives. And it was very hurtful to see how it affected people here... there were a lot of emotional feelings that came out and people began to talk about what happened to them and it was nice that I could listen and cry with them" (age 18)

•"I can now see that my every day life can affect others because other people's hurt affected me quite badly and I can communicate with them because our lives are more or less the same" (age 37)

•"...I now have the courage and the diligence and am not scared to talk to others about what I learnt." (age 24)

Highlights

Although there were many amazing achievements, a particularly great one was the formation of the Buffeljags Survivors drama group. This group was formed by a group of participants who used the workshop experience to produce and enact a play. The drama group launched its first production at REACH’s 12th of August 2007 S.A. Rural Women’s Day campaign and was then invited to perform at a Farm Workers Programme in partnership with government on the 14th of October. The event was a major success attended by over 4 000 farm workers and an additional number of other dignitaries. The drama group was outstanding and the play was thoroughly enjoyed by all. This group has spurred much interest and we foresee further invitations for them to perform at other events as they continue spreading REACH’s message even further

Funder

Overberg District Municipality - Swellendam

Project Objective

To provide rights-based education & awareness on domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, HIV/AIDS and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome through 6 weekend workshops made up of 3 groups (two weekend workshops per group) catering for a total of 90 young farmworking women.

Area

Caledon Region (beneficiaries mostly from Grabouw & Villiersdorp)

Beneficiaries

72 women

Affirmations

(Comments were extracted from participant evaluations of the workshops and most had to be translated from the local dialect, Afrikaans, to English)

•“[I feel] very optimistic. I learnt alot. I never realized that there was so much to a woman's rights. I feel that I now have answers to give others in the future.”(age 31)

•“I feel empty and cleansed; there was alot that made it painful, but all that pain was layed out on the table and it was good. Therefore I don't regret having come [to the workshop].”(age 39)

•“I feel proud of myself. Because I learnt so much. Not just to teach or help others but also for myself” (age 18)

Funder

Overberg District Municipality - Caledon