Marking 30 years since its inception in 1994, the Victim Support Centre in Kareedouw, initiated by the Department of Social Development, is expanding its services to provide temporary shelter for victims of abuse escaping harmful situations.
Shirley Maqhalo, project manager, said that when social workers from the Department of Social Development visited Kareedouw in 1994, they discovered that domestic violence was prevalent in the area.
A decision was then taken to offer training to 10 volunteers on home-based care and domestic violence.
Maqhalo said that a few years later, in the early 2000s, the former station commander, Henk de Vos, of the Kareedouw Police Station, was approached to assist with accommodation to operate the Victim Support Centre.
De Vos then assisted with obtaining the necessary material for a prefabricated house that was constructed on the police station’s premises.
Mongameli Eric Norma and Vuzile Jake from Kou-Kamma Municipality assisted in drawing up the first business plan and assisted with registering the Victim Support Centre as a non-profit organisation in 2012.
Maqhalo said the Victim Support Centre began receiving funding from the Department of Social Development in 2014.
“More than 20 years later, the Victim Support Centre still operates on the same premises as the police station and has continued to do outreach and preventative work in the community with the help of two field workers and a project manager,” said Maqhalo.
To further assist the community in Kareedouw, she said that they plan to establish a White Door Centre to provide temporary shelter for victims of abuse.
“When somebody must be removed from a situation, they will be taken to the White Door Centre of Hope where they will receive counselling and be referred for further help. We want the centre to be open 24 hours a day,” said Maqhalo.
While the Victim Support Centre will continue operating from the police station’s premises, she said that they always dreamed of opening a White Door Centre of Hope that will act as an extension of the services offered at the Victim Support Centre.
However, since they did not have a suitable building to accommodate the victims of abuse, their dreams were put on hold for many years.
Fortunately, Maqhalo said a significant milestone was achieved in July when plot 240 was generously donated, bringing the White Door Centre of Hope closer to reality.
On the plot, there is a factory and an office which has been repurposed as a safe house for victims.
The safe house has been furnished with donations received from the community, which Maqhalo said they are very grateful for.
In addition, they have welcomed Kou-Kamma Animal Rescue on the premises.
“We are now the proud owners of a building and land which is our own, and we can live our dream,” said Maqhalo. While they look forward to serving the community as the only centre of its kind in the Kou-Kamma municipal area, she said that they are not yet ready to accommodate victims as security is a major concern since the premises are not fenced.
Sadly, just as the White Door Centre of Hope was settling into its new home, a devastating fire gutted the factory on October 15, but thankfully, the safe house and Kou-Kamma Animal Rescue section remained intact.
Despite the setback, she said that the White Door Centre of Hope remains committed to its mission, simultaneously seeking funding for perimeter fencing and rebuilding the damaged factory while advancing its strategic plans. Maqhalo outlined their plan for the centre, featuring a conference venue for community skills development, a deli and industrial kitchen, a children’s play area, holiday programmes, and homework support, ultimately driving job creation and community growth.
She said that they also plan to establish a vegetable garden on the property.
“We have already identified 10 children between the ages of 3 and 4 who are currently roaming the township streets. We want to work with them and establish ways to assist,” said Maqhalo.
Further elaborating on their new home, she said that she envisions the expansive land as a vibrant community centre, addressing a critical need by bringing essential services locally, eliminating the need for frustrating trips to Humansdorp where system downtime often results in turned-away residents.
“The plot is in a very good spot and accessible for everybody,” said Maqhalo.
For more information, contact Shirley Maqhalo at 060 479 0202.
