Mobile units assist GBV victims
LIFELINE Zululand's critical role in fighting gender-based violence (GBV) has been advanced through the donation of seven mobile victim-friendly units by Hillside Aluminium. At the official handover at LifeLine's Richards Bay offices on Tuesday, the NPO thanked the corporate for the donation that would significantly boost its level of service in the King Cetshwayo, uMhkhanyakude and Zululand districts.
The units have been deployed to deep rural areas around Mbazwane, Hlobane, Mondlo, Paulpietersburg and Richards Bay, to provide office infrastructure for LifeLine's Victim Empowerment Programme.
LifeLine Zululand programmes manager Nompilo Maphumulo said this is the NPO's largest programme, running alongside those of the Aids Foundation of South Africa (AFSA) and AIDS Community of Southern Africa (NACOSA).
"In 2014, we received funding from the Department of Social Development to render services in King Cetshwayo District and, at the end of December 2018, we expanded to sites in uMhkayakude and Zululand," said Maphumulo.
"These are all deep rural areas with no infrastructure or resources. We partnered with the SAPS and hospitals to share their facilities to render our services."
These victim-friendly mobile units are all fully air-conditioned and contain the necessary equipment for victim treatment and counselling.
"We received this donation at a critical time as our reports for the past five years indicate that LifeLine Zululand has rendered services to 65 594 new victims of GBV," she continued.
''The stats show how some communities have normalised violence and abuse, so we continue to champion awareness and education in various areas."
Hillside Aluminium specialist in socioeconomic development Balungile Mabele thanked all partners and stakeholders involved.
"We are proud to invest in organisations such as LifeLine Zululand, and are grateful for the collaboration with SAPS and the Department of Social Development," said Mabele.
"We want to ensure programmes are sustainable and that the relationships built will have lasting benefits."