Beitbridge woman to open safe house

A SOCIAL worker by profession, Ms Babongile Mudau from the border town of Beitbridge is in the final stages of opening a safe house for women who are victims of gender-based violence in the country’s southern region.

Mudiwa Pfulufhelo (Home of Hope) is a safe haven for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence that get abused and have nowhere else to go.

In an interview, Ms Mudau, who works for an international NGO as a social worker said she intends to offer support, skills training and counselling to the abused women by bringing them into a place where they are far from their abusers.

“I want to provide temporary shelter to at least 500 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and to also provide Psycho-Social Support for the same survivors who will be residing at the shelter,” she said.

Ms Mudau said her aim was to promote gender equality, women’s rights and also try and prevent GBV in women and young girls.

The shelter will be temporary; it will keep survivors for a period of three to six months depending on their situation and individual needs.

During their stay at the shelter the women will be given access to vocational training skills so that upon their release they are able to do various income generating projects.

Asked on what motivated her to start the shelter, Ms Mudau said her area of work made her encounter various people with those needs.

“I am a social worker by profession and I noted that there is a gap in the district because as much as there are many service providers for survivors of GBV, they all provide a service and send back the survivors to the same space where they were abused which means they will not be in a position to get proper psychological healing.

“The shelter will help them to heal in a relaxed space while deciding what to do with their lives,” she said.

Ms Mudau added that some women were forced to stay in abusive relationships because of lack on income.

The shelter will capacitate the women to become independent by providing vocational training in income generating projects like market gardening, sewing as well as poultry.

She further said if women know that there is a space where they can get protection from abusive situations, they might seek help before they are greatly affected.

In Umguza and Umzingwane districts survivors have been given a lifeline by a Christian organisation that seeks to address their challenges and their health needs through a One Stop Centre.

The Zimbabwe Association of Church related Hospitals (ZACH) has launched its project in the two districts as cases of GBV are prevalent in the areas.

The programme manager of ZACH, Dr Chidzewere Nzou, said they sought to raise awareness in the communities.

“We have started a programme called Start Awareness Support Action (SASA) which is aimed at raising awareness in the named communities.

“We want young women and adolescent girls to report cases of all forms of abuse as early as possible so that they get assistance,” he said.

Dr Nzou said they are also seeking and training community champions who are willing to raise awareness on GBV to come and share knowledge with the rest of the community.

The one-stop shop, he said, is an effort to have victims of GBV assisted at one place so that cases see the light of day.

“We will have nurses who will attend to the victims who will do counselling, examinations, medical services such as HIV testing, administering of Post Exposure Prophylaxis and screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections.

“A police post is also going to be at the centre so that they deal with police issues, this is essential because at times these victims end up avoiding the police because they will be traumatised and scared. So having counsellors on the ground will assist as they can easily be referred under one roof,” he said.

A legal officer will be present at the one-stop shop centre too to offer legal aid to those in need.

MPILO

Central

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