Ending Abuse South Africa Project #51828

A new future for survivors of abuse, South Africa

by Lesedi la Batho

Project Report | Oct 25, 2021
Meet Kgotso, An Independent Empowered Entrepreneur

By Tshepo Mbengwa | Social Worker & Project Facilitator

Preparing the land in April 2021

Kgotso is a single mother, living in an informal settlement with her two children and younger sister who struggles with a mental disability. Kgotso is also a survivor of gender-based violence. She joined our Ikemele program in January 2021, attending counselling, support group sessions and skills training classes.

"When I first joined Lesedi's programs, never in a million years did I think I would achieve my dreams. I felt like I was stranded and alone, and depended a lot on my parter who was very abusive. I soon realised I wasn't alone and that other women are going through similar struggles. Lesedi la Batho didn't only give me support to recover from my abuse, but also relieved my family with food parcels while I got on my feet."

Upon graduating from the Ikemele program, Kgotso presented a small business plan to Lesedi la Batho, with the idea of starting a vegetable garden on our centre property. The produce would be sold in the community to support her family. We agreed to host the project and seed funded the first supplies she needed. Kgotso then invited other women from our programs to work with her - feeling that she had an opportunity to empower other women to regain their independence.

Six months later, the project is thriving and producing a lot of vegetables. The co-operative has started selling the vegetables and seeing the fruits of their labour!

"I will always be grateful to Lesedi la Batho for their continued support in my life and the lives of many women and children in our community."

The garden in September 2021

The first harvest for sale!

Links:

Find out more about Ikemele on our website

Permalink

Jul 23, 2021
The Ikemele Project's Win's, Women and the Way Forward

By Mary Lant | Marketing & International Fundraising Manager

Our second graduation in June 2021

First, thank you to each and every individual, corporate and foundation who have helped make our new Ikemele women empowerment project a reality. Because of you, women in Mabopane have restored hope, motivation and the support they need to overcome their abusive backgrounds and rise up!

After 7 months of running the program...

23 women have graduated
We have assisted 6 small business start ups, including a secondhand clothing shop and a gardening project at our centre
Women are motivated and committed to inspiring other women in abusive situations with the knowledge and confidence they have grown.
Graduates are choosing to go back and finish their high school education
One graduate made the decision to quit commercial sex work and moved out of the brothel we found her in

Considering many of these women were jobless, relying on government grants, or selling their bodies before to put food on the table - these are hugely positive life changes for them.

With human rights and sustainable development at the core of everything we do, it's paramount that we are willing to listen, learn, evaluate, restructure and serve to the best of our ability. Our team has paid close attention to the feedback from the women who have graduated from Ikemele. Many are so thankful for the program but feel that the period of 3 months went by too quickly and still feel they need our intervention in their lives. Women are also motivated to start small businesses yet need our guidance and a modest budget of seed funding.

Thus, the Ikemele program will extend to a 6 month program as of July 2021. The first three, we will spend helping women recover from their abuse through support groups and one-on-one counselling. The group sessions will also include life skills education, including information on gender-based violence, human rights and coping mechanisms. It's crucial that we meet women where they are and take the time to work through their brokenness and trauma to ensure long-term success. The following three months, the women will continue their support groups and counselling, while completing a technical skill course of their choice, such as Sewing & Beading, Computer Literacy or Cashier & Merchandising.

Women in our program also receive monthly food parcels and transport fare to get to counselling and classes. The on-site Ratanang Day Care Centre is open for them to leave their children in safe care. After graduation, we will continue to assist women plan, seed fund and launch small businesses.

Another development is that we are forming the Ikemele Alumni - our Project Facilitator, Tshepo, maintains messaging groups for each group of women who graduate, and will host an annual Christmas party for all Alumni. This networking will encourage women to form their own support groups and continue meeting, reducing their reliance on our services in the future.

In these 7 months, Lesedi la Batho has actively sought after new funding opportunities and partnerships to increase our impact reducing gender-based violence in Mabopane. These partners include the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, the Solidarity Fund, and strengthened relationships with corporates working in the space of GBV. We have also started monthly Man2Man workshops at our centre, which provide education on GBV, sexual health and rights, and a safe space for men and boys to share their experiences.

If you would like to ensure more women are able to access our services, please consider becoming a monthly donor to the Ikemele project. The amount doesn't matter - small gestures together are impactful!

Our first graduation in March 2021

Ikemele women receive a generous monthly food pack

An Ikemele women learns sewing skills

Links:

Donate to Ikemele via GlobalGiving

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.