Monique Haven, a victim support centre serving more than nine areas in Despatch and neighbouring regions, calls on business owners to heed their plea for help.
The Monique Haven NPO was established in 2002 by Elma Saalman in her home, in honour of the tragic cold case of a four-year-old girl from Despatch, Monique Barends, who was raped and murdered. Her body was discovered in bushes just 500 metres from her home.
The mission of the Haven is to enhance the caring power of communities to support victims of domestic violence, provide counselling, and address substance abuse. Their vision is to develop a caring society for the protection of victims and the development of the poor and vulnerable members towards a sustainable community.
According to the founder, Elma Saalman, “The home does not only help those in the community it is situated in, but we also help neighbouring areas as well. We have nine areas around that all depend on us, but we often assist people outside of Despatch.”
She further explained how the home provides essential support to those in need.
They organise food parcels, sometimes funded by sponsors but primarily out of their own pockets. They assist children who inherit their parents’ homes after their passing, helping to protect the property from family members attempting to claim it.
Additionally, they support victims of domestic violence, facilitate police assistance for individuals unable to reach a station, refer children without ID cards due to their parents’ passing to helpful contacts at Home Affairs, and provide shoes for children in desperate need, among other services.
“We hear both sides of the story so that there is no bias, and most of our cases are resolved amicably,” added Saalman.
Even after all the Home does for its community, it cannot escape the financial difficulties it faces owing to the heavy load. There are maintenance fees that need to be paid, which hinder the home’s ability to do more for the community, as they use their own money to make ends meet.
Since the community does not pay for the services it receives from the Home, Saalman said they are appealing to the public to help them keep the home afloat.
“The owner of this property wants to sell this place, and it is causing panic among this community, because they do not know where they will go to seek help if not at Monique Haven. We started renting at this place years ago, in 2020, if memory serves me right, and the property owner has been trying to sell this place for the past two years,” said Saalman.
The little that the Home receives from Social Development is only used for stationery and office supplies. Everything else relies on the Home, which Saalman says is bleeding them dry.
“We sometimes receive donations from Shoprite, which we use to make food parcels for people in the community, which we are grateful for,” she added.
The owner of the building told Saalman that they cannot rent the property anymore and that the only option now is for her to buy the property. This is why she appeals to the community for assistance in doing so.
Residents and local businesses that would like to assist the Home can do so in many ways.
The Home’s manager, Louisa Williams, said that the Home is in need of more than just purchasing the property: victim needs include toiletries, sanitary products, maintenance services like grass cutting, and food parcels, as they distribute soup and other tinned food to those in need. Anything will be welcomed and appreciated by the Home.
With so many obstacles facing the Home, one might expect Saalman to cut her losses and move on, but as she stated, “We are the heartbeat of the community. This is my calling, and I will do whatever I can to help my people.”
For more information or to donate, contact the Home’s manager, Louisa Williams on 067 264 1428 or the Founder, Elma Saalman on 074 331 8823.
