Shelter for abused women to be built
2005-07-14
CONSTRUCTION has started on the Athlone House of Strength (AHOS), the shelter for victims of domestic violence, situated in Rosary Street, Charleston Hill, Paarl.
Pat Martin, chairperson of AHOS, says this is the first phase of a One Stop Victim Empowerment Centre for abused women in Paarl.
AHOS, a non-profit organisation, was established in 2001 after two years of extensive research.
A group of concerned women from five churches, Bethel UCC, Holy Trinity CPSA, Immanuel URC, St Stephens CPSA and Zions URC,
met in 1999 to pool their resources and see how they could address some of the problems related to the abuse of women and children in the Paarl area.
To this end these women formed the Athlone House of Strength under the auspices of the Athlone Institute Trust.
The centre will eventually also include a Child Care Centre, a Counselling Centre (a Rape Crisis Centre) as well as a Skills Training Facility.
‘‘The vision is to establish comprehensive facilities and services so
as to holistically address the needs of abused women and rape survivors.
‘‘We hope that the first phase, which includes the Shelter, Child Care Centre and Counselling Centre, will be completed by December.’’
She says these facilities and services are desperately needed to
address the effects of violence against women and children estimated by recent UCT research finding to be ‘‘more pervasive than Tuberculosis in the province’’ and ‘‘the greatest health issue of our time’’.
The establishment of the first phase has been made possible through
funding from the Athlone Institute Trust (AIT) for the Shelter, Vital Healthfoods for the Counselling Centre and Ad Rietveldt fof the Child Care Centre.
The SA Wine Industries Trust (SAWIT) has sponsored the running ·
costs of Job Skills Training for the first year and a potential funder has been approached for the capital costs of this facility.
The CEO of AIT, John Martin, has been soliciting the help of professio
nals as well as sourcing material for the buildings.
He has been pleasantly surprised by the amount of good-will he has received and, with the help of the DCS and the community, he feels sure that the buildings will be completed within the budget.
The Department of Correctional Services, as part of their Restorative
Justice Programme, are assisting with the building project.
A centre manager, Fiona Brophy, has been appointed to prepare, initiate and develop services.
Fiona was the director of a shelter and non-profit organisation in Woodstock for six years and says that she is thrilled to be involved in a project that carries through from addressing a woman (with children) in crisis to offering her a real opportunity at becoming self-reliant.
‘‘I want to help to build an organisation which stands alongside abused women and where every aspect of the services and intervention programmes will have therapeutic value in enabling the
women and their children to find and use the inner potential they have,’’ says Fiona.
AHOSwill be running an eight week support group for 30 unemployed
women who have experienced abuse.
This will include skills training and craft work and starts on Wednesday. They have been referred through members of the Paarl District Gender Forum.
Anyone interested in offering their time and expertise as a volunteer, may contact Fiona at 083-512-4500.
Donations and contributions such as art and craft materials for the
support group, building materials and furnishings and equipment for
the Shelter and Child Care Centre are most welcome.
Contact Fiona in this regard.
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