Give Your 67 Minutes to Rape Survivors this Mandela Day

Whether you’ve already signed up to attend Rape Crisis’ Mandela Day event on July 15th or have yet to sign up, learn more about Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCC) and how your own community is affected. I spoke with Nomnqweno Nomxhego-Gqada, Thuthuzela Care Centre coordinator, to shed some light on the importance of these care centres and how our Mandela Day event will contribute towards this effort.

Nomnqweno describes how TCC’s are distinct from other care centres, providing a multitude of services all in one location. In addition, counsellors are present at all times to provide greater accessibility and emotional care. The several services present in a TCC contribute to one goal as stated by Nomnqweno, “[to make] the survivor more aware of what to expect and minimise the level of trauma as [the survivor] will not be telling their story each time they meet a service provider.” TCC’s play an essential role in increasing conviction rates as they allow a greater number of clients to have testing which will provide DNA evidence in court.

The care packs assembled at Rape Crisis’ Mandela Day event will be sent to TCC’s for distribution to survivors. Care packs are filled with toiletries to be provided for every survivor that accesses a TCC. The care packs are compiled in bags, which are themselves symbolic of a connected community effort. Each bag has been hand made by a member of the Change a Life sewing project at the Rape Crisis Khayelitsha office – an initiative that communicates a sense of unity for other survivors and provides an opportunity for economic empowerment. Nomnqweno notes that as a part of minimising trauma, care packs provide comfort to survivors after the completion of a forensic examination and detailed statement.

We invite you to give your 67 minutes for Mandela Day on July 15th at Rosebank Methodist Church Hall from 10.00 am to 15.00 pm. Click here to sign up. Contribute to a world-wide problem and celebrate the progress thus far towards a safer South Africa.

Rachel Yen

Rachel is currently a second year student studying sociology, media studies, and Spanish at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is interning with the communications team to gain skills in media and nonprofit work.

 

 

 

 

 

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