Crimefighters stands up against GBV

KNYSNA NEWS – Hornlee-based crime-fighting community group, Crimefighters, recently presented a weekend programme to a group of young women whose family members had either been victims of gender-based violence or had struggled with alcohol dependency.

Crimefighters, spearheaded and led by Denzil Rhode, takes youths - aged 13 to 21 - on hikes around Knysna, traversing roughly 55km in three days.

However, on this occasion, Rhode and his troops took the 25 young women to the Harkerville Youth Group Centre for a weekend of team and character building activities and awareness talks.

All the participating women were bused in from areas further afield in Southern Cape such as Herold, Noll and Haarlem.

This was all done with the aim of helping the young women overcome what might have happened to them in the past.

Whenever they conduct an initiative, Crimefighters always enlists the help of various organisations to bolster their programme/s. On this occasion the had the help of officers from a few Southern Cape police precincts, local farmers, Western Cape Department of Social Development, Knysna Fire and Rescue Department, Knysna Alcohol and Drugs Centre, TS Knysna Sea Cadets, and SANParks.

The programme was conducted from Friday to Sunday, 27 to 29 May, and culminated in a special presentation and handover of congratulatory certificates to the participants.

"These young women are beautiful and full of joy and we really appreciate them because the project was based on a lot of things, one of which is discipline (we must also remember - elke outjie maak 'n foutjie) and we are incredibly proud of them," Rhode said.

The group of women and organisers involved in the initiative. Photo: Blake Linder