Shelters need help during annual 16 Days of Activism

A CLARION call has gone out to funders and donors to help keep the doors of St Anne’s Homes, which have been operating for more than a century, open.

St Anne’s Homes have put out a desperate plea to private sector donors and funders who can assist. Director Joy Lange said the NGO, an institution that has served survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) for 118 years, faced imminent closure if it did not receive urgent funding. “We will not be able to keep our doors open if we don’t receive funding within the next week.

“We need the private sector to join us now in fighting GBV ... we don’t have the luxury of time. Our monthly operational costs amount to R300 000 and trying to keep up with that expense while receiving just 30% funding from the Department of Social Development is a challenge,” Lange said.

“Our priority is the safety and security of our women and children who are dependent on the type of support offered by shelters like ours. We have a sustainability programme in place which includes the solar panel programme as well as water harvesting programme and our charity shops. But we cannot do this alone. We desperately need funding.

“The worst case scenario if we are not able to keep our doors open is that we may have to curtail services, which will have tragic consequences for the people who come through our doors,” said Lange

Bernadine Bachar, director at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, stressed the need for emergency private sector funding for shelters. Bachar said Saartjie Baartman, which has assisted more than 260 000 over its 23 years, found itself in dire straits and needed R2 million before the end of December.

“Shelters simply cannot fight GBV alone, we urgently need funding from the private sector, the current economic climate has rendered the financial situations of shelters utterly untenable.”

“We all have a responsibility to fight GBV and femicide. Most shelters in the province are battling and we have a huge funding deficit. It is very disheartening but we believe that with the help from the private sector we will be able to overcome it,” said Bachar.

• To assist St Anne’s Homes, contact info@stanneshomes.co.za or Joy Lange at 071 906 3949.

• To assist Saartjie Baartman, visit http://www.saartjiebaartmancentre.org.za/ or contact Bernadine Bachar on 083 307 1110.