By Kouthar Sambo
The Ilitha Labantu Foundation is currently hosting a workshop for Women and children. The event, which took place on Tuesday and will continue later today, is titled “Self-realization workshop.”
Speaking on VOC’s Breakfast show on Wednesday, the spokesperson for Ilitha Labantu Foundation, Siya Monakali, said when the organistion started out in the heart of apartheid, it was one of the first organisations to offer psycho-social support in the townships of the Western Cape.
“We offer counseling services, and legal and practical advice to women, children, and families that are affected by abuse. We also go out to communities to raise awareness about the scourge of violence against women and children,” explained Monakali.
“We are the Provincial for Distribution (PFD) center for the province, where we provide over 900 kg of food to various kitchens around the Western Cape. We have an understanding that we cannot divorce the issue of violence, food security, and poverty,” said Monakali.
The workshop seeks to empower survivors of abuse, as most women who are in abusive relationships are financially dependent on the perpetrator.
“The workshop which took place yesterday focused on undergoing the process of re-identification and when you have been in situations of abuse, there is a lot of stigma associated with being a victim.”
Monakali described the workshop as an “emotional experience” for abuse survivors. According to Monakali, the workshop is an induction workshop that would lead to skills development training courses that we provide.
“We have a beading, nail, and makeup course, and we try to link these women with education opportunities so that they can become more self-reliant and self-sufficient,” explained Monakali.
“The survivours who attended was a confident group and I think that speaks volumes of the work done by our social workers to help these women gain back their confidence and self-esteem,” added Monakali.
Photo: Ilitha Labantu Foundation/Facebook
