GEORGE NEWS - The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign takes place annually from 25 November to 10 December. Thuthuzela Centres play an important role when it comes to offering services to survivors of violence and abuse. These centres are seen as one-stop facilities.
"The best way to cope with what has happened is to get professional help and people who can work with you and those closest to you, in order to maintain your family ties and strengthen your support system."
These are the words of Angelique Vezasie, site coordinator at the Thuthuzela Care Centre in George. Angelique has been working at the centre for 12 years. Thuthuzela, the Xhosa word for comfort, is exactly what is embodied by Angelique, her team and the services the centre provides to its clients at the George Hospital.
Angelique and the team working at this centre, Gwen Majoka and Jo-Anne Hardnick, constantly reinforce feelings of positivity, self-dignity and most importantly, hope, to women and children who have fallen victim to violence and sexual assault.
She manages all the reported sexual offences and the services that are provided to these survivors of gender-based violence. Angelique says that she also handles cases of child neglect, children who have been physically abused and cases of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Processes
She says that, when survivors come to them for assistance, she, Gwen and Jo-Anne first try their utmost best to provide comfort, care and safety for them. The next steps are to explain to survivors the legal, medical and forensic procedures to better help them understand that they are safe, cared for and have come to the right place.
"We have a court preparation officer who is responsible for preparing the witnesses. The case manager at the court is responsible for case management of all the sexual offence dockets and leads the investigation in order to build a stronger case, the FCS unit (family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit) of the police services we work with and also Famsa provide survivors with after-care," she says.
Care
Survivors of sexual abuse are never alone. A group of excellent volunteers from Famsa are available when the Thuthuzela offices close from 16:00 until 08:00 the following morning.
They render an after-hour call service at the office to do crisis containment and "just to be here to comfort the survivors so that they don't feel alone, and to offer them a shower and something to eat".
Angelique encourages survivors to not remain quiet but to report these violations because "people don't realize the long-term effect that sexual abuse can have on a person".
"If you don't report within three days, there is the risk of STI, HIV, and the risk of unwanted pregnancy, which can be prevented if you report the violation on time. Also, the longer you wait, the longer the process of self-healing will take," she says.
Support
The public can support this campaign by "preaching Thuthuzela". Society and community members should not turn a blind eye when they notice abuse amongst men, women and children; instead, speak up!
Be sensitive and supportive of GBV victims - share helpful information and support causes near you. Teach children values of gender equality and protect them from exposure to violence and harmful content on the internet and social media.
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