Enable The Financial Freedom Of Survivors Of Abuse

A woman’s bleeding in my arms. With no health insurance or Medicaid, her first resort isn’t the hospital, it’s here. The Healing Centre for the Abused. That’s pretty much how it goes. I am not South African; I don’t speak Xhosa or Zulu, so I just listen to her cry, nod my head, and hold her hand. With a language barrier, a bloody chick, and a bruised eye, I know she’s one of the many helpless women with ruthlessly authoritarian husbands. She’s limping too so she was either trying to run away or fight back. I’m waiting for my boss to come to the main branch and register her with a first responder, but I don’t want her to feel like I can’t help her, so despite my translator not being here, I gesture to her to close her eyes while I hold her hand and hum Arabic scales—my go-to calmer when I don’t really know what I’m dealing with. Her tears dry up as I rock her steadily. She’s feeling better and better with every octave leap–we can both breathe now.

In South Africa, one woman is killed by her intimate partner every six hours.

In South Africa, 1 in 3 women report having been subjected to gender-based violence.

And in South Africa, 87% of gender-based violence cases are reported to happen to women living below the poverty line. 

With most of my survivors living under $25/month, breaking the poverty cycle will help break the cycle of abuse. In my financial empowerment through skills training program, survivors will attain beautician training or seamstress training to start their own small enterprises. Financial empowerment will unimaginably impact the life of every survivor involved. Please help break the cycle of abuse by donating and sharing.

Braiders= $650/month*2

Transportation = $875/month*2

Trainers = $150*2

Beautician training kits, materials, and supplies = $2500

Capital for ITIS Tower = $2500

GoFundme Transaction Fees= $247

Total Needed = $8497