Long walk to raise public awareness over abuse
AS NEWS THAT Deputy Education Minister Mduduzi Manana bashed two women outside a nightclub sent shockwaves across the country, 13 people were busy walking hundreds of kilometres to highlight this type of abuse.
The group, who are part of the Thato Molosankwe Foundation, have walked from Joburg to Mahikeng as part of the drive to raise awareness of the abuse of women and children.
They left Joburg on August 4 and reached Mahikeng yesterday after walking more than 300km.
This walk is the foundation’s third annual event.
Mammy Mabe, the charity foundation’s event co-ordinator, said the aim of the event was also to help victims find peace and speak out about their experiences.
“This year marks the third year of the walk, and there are thus far 13 members who take part, although the number increases as the walkers get closer to their destination.
“The walk is not limited to women. It is to encourage women to exercise the same bravery of the women who previously fought for their rights, and to motivate men to stand up and support their women,” she said.
Mabe added that the walk was not just a once off event.
“We aim to make a long-lasting impact by engaging with various municipalities to fix existing problems, raising funds for the needy and simply giving back to the community, both throughout Gauteng and the North West province.”
Some of the challenges they met along the way were not being able to reach the communities they passed because of the great distances involved and a lack of adequate transport. According to Mabe, this greatly impacted on the main purpose of the walk, which was to engage with communities on the issue of abuse.
However, Mabe was optimistic that there was huge potential for the initiative to grow.
“We have also received a positive reception from the public, and on our social media pages. I am certain that by the end of the walk more people will definitely want to take part in this life-changing initiative.”
The aim is to help victims find peace