A new future for survivors of abuse, South Africa

The Ikemele Project is a women's empowerment initiative designed to inspire and support young women in reaching their full potential. It equips them with the tools to navigate life's challenges positively, while also offering psycho-social services to help address trauma and mental health concerns.The Ikemele support group sessions were held every Wednesday in July and August at Lesedi La Batho. We had four participants, young women aged 18-24, three of whom are foster children who have lost their mothers and have no connection with their fathers. The fourth participant is a young mother facing relationship issues with her child’s father. These ladies were referred by the Department of Social Development and the Mabopane community.

Lessons Learned: The topics covered in the program included:

• Personal Identity
• Goal Setting
• Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
• Reproductive and Sexual Health
• Human Rights

Participants created vision boards reflecting their goals and discussed strategies to achieve them. The importance of perseverance was emphasized, even if initial deadlines for their goals are not met.

The knowledge received will enable our ladies to embrace challenges as learning opportunities to improve their outlook on life, improve communication with their families to strengthen support systems, express themselves constructively without harming others and share their newfound knowledge with others to inspire positive change.

The social worker used different tools to promote engagement and encourage expression, ensuring their voices were heard and valued such as group discussions, individual tasks and homework.

One-on-one sessions were conducted to understand each participant’s background and family dynamics, with ongoing counselling provided as needed.

As part of the support of the programme, the participants received transport money for attending sessions and skills programs, graduation contribution sponsorship (graduation photos, hiring of graduation attire), material donations, a gift as well as food parcels to help alleviate their basic needs.

Highlights: The foster children bonded over their shared experiences, forming close friendships. Excitingly, all four participants have been accepted to universities for 2025, a significant step toward their personal and academic goals.

The program has made significant strides in transforming the lives of its beneficiaries by empowering them with knowledge, skills, and mentorship. Participants have become more aware of their human rights and the importance of maintaining healthy relationships.

Meet the Beneficiaries:

Nomsa:

Nomsa, 18, lost her mother at 8 and has been raised by her aunt, who subjected her to emotional abuse. Nomsa attempted suicide three times but found solace in singing as a coping mechanism. Despite the hardships, she has completed a Computer Accredited Skill program and is set to study at Nelson Mandela University in 2025.

Boipelo:

Boipelo, an 18-year-old who lost her mother at a young age, was raised by her maternal aunt. She faced challenges with isolation and bullying but managed to overcome them, completing the Computer Accredited Skill program. She has been accepted to Sol Plaatje University to pursue a teaching degree. To cope with her trauma, Boipelo writes poetry, and through support group sessions, she gained the confidence to share her work. At the graduation ceremony, she recited a poem, revealing her talent to her aunt for the first time.

Remofilwe:

Remofilwe, 20, lost her mother when she was just 4 months old and was raised by her grandmother. She shares a close bond with her grandmother despite occasional disagreements. Remofilwe completed the Computer Accredited Skill program and is on the waiting list for a BSc in Occupational Therapy at the University of the Western Cape.

Patricia:

Patricia, 24, is a young mother who experienced disappointment from her family upon her pregnancy. However, her family became supportive, though the child’s father remains uninvolved. Patricia completed the Computer Literacy Skill program and has been accepted to study Foundation Phase Teaching at the University of South Africa in 2025.Patricia has also found employment and October is ehr first month.

We would like to wish our ladies good luck on their journey to success.