Turning her trauma into an educational tool
MOST people wish they lived the lives of a movie script, but for women’s rights activist Reverend Tanelle Welff, the trauma she experienced in life will soon become a movie.
Now based in Durban, the former Mitchell’s Plain resident has turned the abuse and violence she experienced from a young age into a documentary and a feature film aimed at empowering women globally.
She will be the guest speaker at a Women of Worth fundraising lunch next Saturday, sharing her story. The lunch will be filmed for inclusion in the documentary.
“At the age of 4 I was raped, at the age of 16 I was raped by six guys. My ex-husband used crack cocaine. I was given an opportunity to do ministry work in the US and I had to choose between love, diamonds and obedience. I became homeless in the US.
“The documentary that I am producing features interviews with all the people and organisations that helped me on my journey to where I am now, such as Volunteers for America, Homeland Security officials, the FBI, and professors at Harvard and the Johns Hopkins Institute.
“So much went on in my life and I want to tell that story in the documentary and the film that I will produce. These productions can be used as case studies and by churches, organisations and as an educational tool looking at the social restorative justice process,” said Welff.
The productions are just two of several other projects Welff is involved in.
“Operation Sweep is the name of my project, which is a pilot programme creating a sustainable workforce development. It’s based on agri-tourism and the project extends to India and Haiti. I want the project to be driven by women, and it must be a catalyst for change in their lives,” she said.
For more information on the Women of Worth lunch, the proceeds of which go to various women empowerment initiatives, contact Nasha at 076 898 1004.