16 Days of Activism kicked off on Monday, 25 November and Mustadafin Foundation is actively taking part by creating awareness about violence against women and children in the Cape Town community. Various programmes will roll out during this period to help foster positive change on heart breaking social issues that so many women and children face daily.
As part of Mustadafin Foundation’s support for this campaign, they will be hosting an area awareness programme on Monday, 2 December in Khayelitsha and invite community members to attend. A resilience workshop will take place on Thursday, 5 December in Tafelsig in conjunction with Arup Engineering Firm. Arup researches resilience in communities where trauma is rife and the workshop will focus on coping mechanisms used by women in impoverished communities who have to face crime, trauma and stress on a daily basis.
Mustadafin Foundation is also partnering with the SAPS and the Safer Schools Project to host a Child Safety programme at Manandi beach on Monday, 9 December where 300 children, aged 8 to 14 years, will attend. These learners will not only have a fun day out in the sun, but they will also be trained on how to stay safe over the holiday season, how to report concerns and how to look out for one another, as many kids will be alone at home for a few weeks before their parents start their holiday.
Tuesday, 10 December marks the final day of 16 Days of Activism with a community dinner in Tafelsig. During the dinner the women who have graduated from Mustadafin Foundation’s Stop Abuse Stitch by Stitch Sewing Project will be acknowledged and red balloons will be released as a symbol to stop violence in our communities. The dinner will also be attended by the Tafelsig community, The Pink Ladies (a community group that’s involved in raising awareness and searching for missing children in the area), and SAPS Crime Forum members. A beautiful candle lighting and prayer will close-off the evening.
“It’s very important that the community we operate in has a clear understanding of what to do when violence occurs in their family. We trust that the programmes being rolled out will help these women and children should they ever be in such a situation,” comments Hani du Toit, Projects and Communication manager at Mustadafin Foundation.
Anyone interested in making the Child Safety programme extra special for the children at Manandi Beach on Monday, 9 December can donate toys and gifts. For further information, phone 021 633 0010