2011 Report - Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children

Vision
The vision of the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and
Children (SBC) is the creation of a safe and secure society
and a human rights culture where women and children are
empowered to exercise their full rights.
Mission
The mission of the SBC, as a human rights-based, non-
governmental organisation, is to provide a comprehensive
range of services that are accessible and safe to women and
children by:
• Working in partnership with organisations that advocate
ending violence against women and children
• Providing 24-hour emergency shelter, short and
medium term residential care, and childcare services.
• Prioritising awareness of women’s rights around issues
such as HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence (GBV), legal
and socio-economic rights.
• Providing mental health support, legal and economic
empowerment services
• Conducting research that will inform intervention
strategies and best practices in the gender-based
violence sector.
Developmental objective
We have established an integrated and comprehensive one-
stop centre for women and children who are survivors of
gender-based violence.
Immediate objectives
• Manage an effective and co-ordinated one-stop centre
partnership that provides a comprehensive range of
services for abused women and children.
• Establish, through research, a best practice intervention
model to challenge and end violence against women
and children.
• Provide effective community outreach work to
end violence against women and children through
preventative and awareness programmes.
• Develop an effective networking relationship with
other organisations, networks and tertiary institutions
that advocate and seek an end to violence against
women and children.
• Promote research and advocacy around gender-based
violence in order to influence policy makers and
society in general.
2011 Annual Review
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T
his year, as I reflect on Women’s Month, it is hard
not to feel despondent that more has not changed
for the better for women and children in South
Africa. In fact, it feels as if the situation in our country is
at a low point politically, morally and economically and
women are usually the first to feel the negative - and often
violent - impact of this.
However, it is not my aim in this report to present an entirely
gloomy picture. Despite the reality in which we live, there is
a huge amount of work done by individuals, organisations
and businesses that deserves recognition for the positive
impact it has on women’s lives. And of course, this includes
the achievements of the Saartjie Baartman Centre in Cape
Town and Eerste Begin in Worcester.
The ‘new look’ Saartjie Baartman Centre that started to take
shape early in 2011, is, in my opinion, a revitalised and
positive place where the vision and mission of the Centre
are being realised. When the One-Stop Centre began all
those years ago in 1999, there was an energy and focus
on meeting the needs of abused women and children in
a holistic, caring and safe way. I wish us all to be inspired
by that vision of a place where women can come and feel
safe and secure to be helped in a myriad of different ways –
legal, medical and emotional – and to continue to strive for
this goal. It is not easy given the circumstances of limited
resources and limited political will and support, but it is a
goal worth fighting for.
Some of the highlights of this past year have been the
production of Beyond the Shadow, the digital diaries
DVD that is incredibly moving and informative. The many
campaigns and events held for women and about women
include, among others, the 16 days of Activism, Women’s
Day, Air your Dirty Laundry and the Trinity Club event.
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These events are important for affirming abused women and
Chairperson
of the Board’s
Report
children, and for raising public awareness about violence
against women.
It is important to remember that the work and these events
could not happen without sound organisation behind them,
and in 2011, the SBC staff are cementing good practices
around internal human resource practices, financial
management, research and administration. I would like to
highlight the incredible volume of work done by the Centre
– with limited resources – and to thank the staff for their
energy and commitment.
Financial resources are vital to keep the wheels turning and
again, enormous appreciation goes to the Director, Synnov
Skorge, who carries the load of worry and responsibility for
fundraising, and is so successful in keeping SBC afloat. I also
want to thank each and every staff member, especially for
pulling together earlier in the year when the situation was
difficult with fewer staff and uncertainty around finances.
Gratitude also goes to our funders and donors, volunteers
and supporters, partner organisations and government
departments. Last, but certainly not least, I thank my
colleagues on the Board. I appreciate your willingness to
give up your valuable time for many meetings; to discuss
issues openly and constructively; and even when there are
tough decisions to make, to put foremost the interests of the
women and children who the SBC serves.
As always, it is my privilege and honour to be part of an
organisation that I regard so highly – thank you for entrusting
me with this job. I am both proud of, and humbled by, the
women of the Saartjie Baartman Centre.
Gillian Kerchhoff
October 2011
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CENTRE DIRECTOR - Synnøv Skorge
As I am writing this report I received the news that another
of our partner organisations is closing its doors due to
financial constraints. In 2007, just four years ago, Saartjie
Baartman Centre consisted of a partnership of sixteen
organisations providing a formidable range of specialised
services including counselling, job-skills, outreach and
advocacy work. Now, in 2011, we have only five partner
organisations working with us.
The funding crisis has hit the civil society sector hard over
the past few years, especially organisations providing direct
services in the gender-based violence sector. It is a serious
situation as levels of violence against women and children
are actually increasing and far more services are needed
as well as real input, support and co-ordination from all
sectors of society to successfully combat the current crisis
situation. Recent research undertaken in Gauteng shows
that 51% of women in the study experienced some form of
violence and 78.3% of men admitted to perpetrating some
form of violence against women (MRC & Gender Links.
2010). More than 56 272 rapes were reported to police in
2010/2011. The Gauteng study, however, suggests that only
one in 25 rapes is reported annually and approximately
only 50% of survivors of GBV report it to the police.
We have worked hard on our funding strategy, motivating
for more funding from government, the corporate sector
and building up our internal income-generating projects.
However, despite all efforts we are currently in a position
whereby 48% of our annual funding comes from the
National Lotteries Board and funding from provincial
government has dropped to 31% for the current financial
year. It has been encouraging to have received significant
support from the corporate sector this year for the Madiba
Saartjie Baartman
Centre Reports
02
Day and National Women’s Day and we are hopeful that
the corporate sector will expand their support and become
core funders of our projects.
Over the past years, the Centre has had a significant increase
in the number of women and children coming to the centre
for assistance, often in life-threatening situations. We have
always been, and continue to be, totally determined to keep
up with the demands and expectations of our clients even in
the light of shrinking resources. In order to achieve this, the
Centre embarked on a restructuring process towards the end
of 2010 aimed at increasing our capacity to provide services,
especially in the counselling and legal advice projects and
maintain our residential (shelter) programme, research and
awareness-raising and advocacy work. The restructuring
was a challenging process that resulted in the retrenchment
of six staff members and changes to some staff positions
in January 2011. This year has been about building up,
implementing and fine-tuning the new structure. The newly
created empowerment programme came into effect in March
2011 and is proving to be effective to the development and
support of the Centre’s direct services. I am very happy to
report that we have successfully negotiated this process and
are enjoying the revamped, re-energised and more efficient
Saartjie Baartman Centre!
STaff NewS
We bid farewell to the following staff members: Rosemarie
Cox, Rachel Petersen, Thembeka Ncanywa, Gairo Waja,
Phumza Manzana, Benita Goliath, Christine Thomas,
Alice Jaftha and Deirdre Malgas. Our heartfelt thanks and
appreciation for their contribution to the Centre over the
years. Special thanks to Rosemarie Cox and Rachel Petersen
who were part of the pioneering staff team that started the
SBC shelter in 1999.
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We also bid farewell to Saskia Van Dijk and
Nina Van Vlijmen, who had one-year contracts with
the Centre and were funded by the Cape Winelands
Municipality. It was great to have extra staff assisting in the
shelter and job-skills programmes.
We warmly welcome Hermien Gibson as the newly
appointed residential manager, Kryska Marquard as
residential assistant who lives on-site and Dorothea Gertse
as the social worker in the empowerment programme.
Congratulations to Ilse Ahrends in her new position as
Empowerment Programme Manager.
Special congratulations to Fatima Ismail who celebrated her
marriage in April 2011!
The Centre held its annual strategic planning at Goudini
Spa in mid February. The planning was particularly
important as it served to discuss and confirm the details
of the new centre structures for smooth implementation.
It also provided a wonderful team building opportunity
for us! Many thanks to Jane Bennett, whose expertise
and guidance we appreciate as the Centre changes, grows
and improves.
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2011 Annual Review
Many thanks to my colleagues for their hard work
over the past year and for their willingness to see
the restructuring process, with all its challenges, as
an opportunity to improve the Centre’s services. We
have been tested but can proudly say that we truly
do our best to work towards the Centre’s vision and
commitment in putting women and children first in all
that we do.
Our thanks to the wonderful people who provide
staff supervision, namely Jane Bennett, Charl Davids,
Sia Maw, Emilita Pecego, Grace Reid, Steven Viviers and
Fatima Williams.
CeNTre HiGHliGHTS
The Centre had another very successful ‘Sixteen Days of
Activism’ campaign at the end of 2010. A highlight of
the campaign was the Air your Dirty Laundry event held
in December 2010 where over a hundred teenagers from
surrounding high schools came to the Centre to create
T-shirts with messages to bring to attention the high rates of
violence that they are experiencing in their lives. Research
has shown that the women are often abused before the age
of eighteen. One in four men admitted to committing rape

y the age of eighteen. It is therefore an important age group
for us to be working with.
Another highlight was the completion and launch of
Beyond the Shadow DVD. Eight women living at the Centre
recorded their stories - the abuse they and their children
survived, their experiences at the Centre, their fears, hopes
and dreams for the future - over a four month period. The
DVD gives profound insight into the deliberate brutality
of the abuser, the extent of the devastation of abuse and
what is needed for women to begin to recover. We thank
the eight participants for courageously sharing their stories.
Many thanks to Shelley Barry for facilitating the process
and producing the DVD. Thanks also to Mbyiselo Botha of
Sonke Gender Justice for delivering the keynote speech at
the launch of the DVD in December 2011 and Beverley
Houston for the media work. The DVD was screened again
at the Labia in Cape Town for International Women’s Day in
March 2011, and in Worcester for National Women’s Day
in August 2011.
The success and growth of our rural project ‘Eerste Begin’
is a definite highlight. The shelter continues to provide
safe accommodation and counselling for women in the
Winelands District. We have successfully expanded the job-
skills programmes and our awareness-raising and outreach
work. The first Air your Dirty Laundry campaign was held at
Eerste Begin in December 2011 where 300 schoolchildren
from surrounding farms created T-shirts speaking out
against violence. A series of awareness raising workshops
was held with women working on farms in August 2011.
The on-going success and growth of Eerste Begin is very
encouraging for the Centre and we are certainly looking
forward to more opportunities to replicate and build
much needed resources in rural communities, such as the
Matzikama project.
The Centre continues to be active on a local, national and
international level by participating in many events, conferences
and workshops, including presenting at the International
Victim Empowerment Conference in Polokwane in December
2010, National Gender Conference in Bergen, Norway in
April 2011 and Western Cape Parliament in June 2011. Centre
staff and clients are visible in the media having taken part in
many radio, magazine and TV activities.
In conclusion, the success of the Centre would not be possible
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without the dedicated support of the Board of Management.
Many thanks to the chairperson, executive members and
board members for their on-going work in growing the
Centre and assisting my colleagues and me at all times!
Thanks to the partner organisations and all of the
volunteers – the valuable contribution to the Centre is
highly appreciated. Special thanks to Melissa Smith,
Duncan Albertyn, Gillian Lumb of Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
and Wileman Information Technology.
Finally, special thanks to our funders and donors who make
our work possible. They include the National Lotteries
Trust Board, Department of Social Development (Western
Cape), Department of Transport and Property Management
(Western Cape), Nussbaum Foundation, Industry Bags,
The Body Shop Team, Bergen Clinic, St.Andrew’s Church
(Newlands), Shout for a Safer South Africa, Gift of the
Givers, Truworths, Cape Winelands Municipality, Trinity
Nightclub, Soroptimists, Marina Rehbein and Palace of the
Winds, Risk Benefit Solutions, Grand West, TNS Surveys
and Sun International and Marisa Bracher.
The photos in this report were taken by photographer Warren
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2011 Annual Review
Nelson, Clare Louise Thomas and SBC staff members.
Names in the case studies that appear in this report have
been changed to protect the identities of the women.
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME - Ilse Ahrends
Counselling, legal advice and assistance, and community
outreach (education and awareness-raising about gender-
based violence) have long been essential services provided
by the Saartjie Baartman Centre. These are all services which
seek to strengthen women in terms of their confidence,
self esteem and rights, whether as individuals or in their
communities. It was therefore decided to bring them under
one managerial umbrella – the Empowerment Programme.
Since April 2011 we have been working very closely with
the Residential Programme managed by Hermien Gibson.
The women living in the residential programme are no
longer counselled separately by a residential social worker/
counsellor, but become clients of the general counselling
programme. They are seen either by our counsellor, Fatima
Ismail, or our social worker, Dorothea Gertse. Fatima and
Dorothea are assisted by psychology and social work
interns from local and international universities. During
the period April-July 2011, 44 residents benefited through
empowerment counselling and 53 residents attended

weekly support groups, which provided a platform to share
their experiences of abuse with other women.
The psychology and social work interns assess the women
who come to SBC for help, see on-going clients, and
co-facilitate support groups and psycho-educational
workshops for residents and women from the surrounding
communities. The Centre greatly appreciates the services
the interns provide.
Fatima and Dorothea will continue with the successful
education and awareness-raising workshops held with
learners and teachers in surrounding schools. They also
supervise the psychology and social work interns, and share
the responsibility for further outreach (talks, presentations
and workshops) with other SBC staff members.
During the past year, the Centre provided services to 1 437
new and 942 repeat clients, totalling 2 379 (See Figure 1
below for monthly client intakes). One hundred and sixty-
eight of these received at least 8-10 sessions of ongoing
counselling for domestic violence and mental health issues.
Since February 2011, the project has also been providing
counselling for residents and support group meetings for
residents and Centre clients.
figure 1. Centre clients aug 2010-July 2011
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Sept 2010
Oct 2010
Nov 2010
Dec 2010
Jan 2011
Centre Clients
Feb 2011
Mar 2011
Apr 2011
May 2011
Jun 2011
Jul 2011
Aug 2011
The project ran ten GBV awareness-raising
workshops with 110 grade 5 and 6 learners from Cedar
Primary School in Bonteheuwel, which helped to
equip them with life skills and personal development.
One hundred and sixty learners participated in our
Air Your Dirty Laundry Campaign on 10 December
2010, which involved painting messages advocating
an end to violence, on T-shirts. The project ran GBV
awareness-raising talks, training and workshops with a
total of 1 255 people, including nursing students (See
Figure 2).
Figure 2. GBV education to civil society organisations and
businesses
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
GBV education to civil society and business
Number of people who benetted
725
Talks Basic counselling
training
We were lucky to have assistance from eleven students
and two volunteers from local and international
universities, who fulfilled either a Psychology or Social
Work internship in the programme. We would like to say
a big ‘Thank You’ to Preshema Seupawl, Silindile Motaung,
Zeenat Osman, Fazeelah Osman, Estelle Badenhorst,
Taryn McKellar, Tristan Wever, Stella Mokitimi,
Erine Bröcker, and Aleksandra Djordjevic (Germany),
Maria Nyström, Marie Palm and Jonna Back (all from
Sweden) for your hard work and dedication. New
interns currently with us are Jill Ryan, Gadijah Khan and
428
Agnes Jones; also Valeria Markova from Norway.
272
Workshops
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Some highlights and challenges: Fatima Ismail (Psychological counsellor)
I had the wonderful opportunity of travelling abroad to five
states in the USA for three weeks in August 2010, to observe,
learn, and share experiences and programmess on GBV. I
am also excited about and looking forward to a New Delhi,
Indian trip towards the end of the year, where, together with
the Western Cape Network on Violence Against Women
and others, we will be addressing sexual violence in the
public sphere.
I attended several forums during the year which helped
in my development. My role as staff representative on the
SBC Board came to an end. I give thanks to my fellow staff
members for allowing me the opportunity to learn a wealth
of information from this forum and for the confidence you
found in me. The whole restructuring process was daunting
and exciting at the same time. It did mean some unexpected
changes for me, but I survived!
Sister Cupido of Heideveld Day Clinic died suddenly,
which is a huge loss to SBC as referrals for mental status
examinations and depression were seen by her. Nevertheless,
we have networked to establish new contacts. Our new
social worker, Dorothea Gertse, has been a great help in
sharing the workload, but more so to the residents requiring
social work intervention. I recruited the first male intern to
do intake of clients and counselling. Although there were
concerns initially, Tristan has been a positive male role
model for the women and children as well as for the staff
with whom he worked. He will be sorely missed when he
completes his internship in August 2011. Lastly, thanks to
my external supervisor, Charl Davids, for his support and
guidance throughout the year.
Some reflections: Dorothea Gertse (Social worker)
I started working at SBC on 1 April 2011 as the Centre’s
social worker. I always had the desire to work in the field of
abuse and when I became aware of this vacancy, I thought
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2011 Annual Review
it was the perfect opportunity. Although I was very satisfied
at my previous organisation, I was very excited when I was
offered the position at SBC. This has been a new challenge
for me since I had never worked in the field of domestic
violence, but I have the passion and commitment to work
with people. I still have a long way to go, but I can honestly
say that I am happy to be part of this team. I am excited as
well as curious about what lies ahead. To build a relationship
and walk a path with these women and children has been
one of my greatest experiences. Within this short timeframe
I could see the growth and strength in the women with
whom I work, and being a woman, I also draw my strength
from them. One of the biggest moments for me is when the
women start to realize their own power and strengths and
they slowly start to transform.
LEGAL ADVICE AND TRAINING PROJECT - Charmaine Morris
The Legal Advice and Training Project was established in
2004 as it was recognized that accessible legal intervention,
which is client-centred, makes a critical contribution towards
the safety and well being of women who have experienced
violence. The main aim of the project is to improve access
to justice for women experiencing GBV. Our clients come
mainly from the impoverished surrounding areas, where
drug abuse is a major contributing factor in the abuse
these women suffer. The Centre employs two paralegals
who assist women with protection order applications,
divorce actions and maintenance applications. Sadly, we
had to say goodbye to one of our staff members, Deirdre
Malgas. We thank her for her contribution towards the legal
project over the past two years and wish her well in her
future endeavours.
During the past year, the project provided legal advice and
assistance to 1621 clients, of whom 644 were new/first-
time clients. We continued to do follow-up work in respect
of existing clients and attended to 87 requests for advice
and information from individuals and organizations.

What a year 2011 has been for the Legal Project – filled
with challenges and frustrations. Most of the challenges we
face at the Legal Project are much the same as last year
– nothing has changed. We still struggle with assistance
from police. They seem to have an attitude that they are
doing the women a favour instead of enforcing the women’s
rights. Station Commanders say that domestic violence is
one of their top priorities at their police stations, but we
certainly do not see it in the responses we get from some
of the officers. In addition, there is still the struggle with the
court clerks who seem to have this lax attitude towards the
Domestic Violence Act (DVA). There is no urgency in the
way they do their work. It is as if they do not see the extent
of our work or the seriousness of the constant struggle
women survivors face daily. Furthermore, even though
the DVA makes provision for a minor child to apply for a
protection order against a parent, some magistrates refuse
to grant such orders. Their argument is that they must be
accompanied by a parent. What if that protection order is
against one of the parents? If we question them they adopt
an attitude of superiority.
Submissions are being made to parliament about
problems we face in terms of implementation of the DVA
but, thus far, nothing has really changed. We have excellent
legislation but enforcing it is difficult if it is not being taken
seriously. These major obstacles make it very difficult for
us to assist women in our fight against abuse. This kind of
attitude also makes the women despondent. They feel that
the protection orders do not really protect them, which in
itself is frustrating for all. Although we face such difficulties
there are still the many successes in our work at the Centre.
There are women who are determined to make a change in
their lives.
In conclusion we look forward to another exciting year
fighting gender-based violence! We wish to acknowledge
and thank everybody who supported the project and who
provided assistance and guidance. We especially thank
Heléne Combrinck for her continued guidance and support
since the inception of the project.Thank you also to everyone
who contributed financially towards the project.
CATERING PROJECT - Shumeeze Johaardien
The SBC Catering project was established in 2008, with an
aim to empower and provide part-time employment to SBC
residents and ex-residents. Reflecting on the past year, the
project undertook 106 catering jobs and provided 56 part-
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time job opportunities for the residents. The women were
a great help, as they were eager to work and learn in the
catering field. We also managed to provide job opportunities
for women from the surrounding areas. The good thing is
that the project is self-sustainable and is able to contribute
towards sustainability of the centre.
There is always a vibrant atmosphere in the kitchen – rice
boiling, chicken in the oven – you can smell it a distance
away. There are days when we have more than one
catering job, and where time is of the essence. It does not
matter how tired we are, to us it is a job well done. The
reward for the SBC catering team is, however, when the
clients thank us.
Catering highlights include SBC’s 2010 AGM, launches of
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SucceSS Story
...Thank you for your services... It was really a lovely
evening and I think that you, Shirley and Fatima went a
long way to making it work ...
From a catering client
2011 Annual Review
the Digital Diaries DVD and the Air your Dirty Laundry
Campaign. Residents who assisted with the AGM catering
really enjoyed themselves. They took control of the
waitroning and attending to the guests that evening. It was a
real pleasure to work with them.
We were faced with many challenges, as we had to compete

with corporate caterers when tendering for jobs but we
have a reputation for quality and quantity of food – and
are especially known for our tasty lasagne, muffins and
savoury platters.
We would like to thank all who supported us, especially
the Department of Social Development, Western Cape
Nursing College, UCT, Community Chest, Lifeline and
all the other clients, who have put their trust and faith in
us to manage their events. We would also like to thank
all partner and Centre staff for supporting the canteen
throughout the year.
RESEARCH PROJECT - Irma Maharaj
The SBC Research Programme undertakes research and
research related projects as identified by the Centre.
Functions include researching topics in gender-based
violence relevant to the Centre; collecting, maintaining
and analyzing Centre statistical data; producing digital
stories/diaries; monitoring and evaluating SBC’s services;
participating in various GBV forums; and assisting with
the Centre’s Annual Report. The past year has been a very
productive one.
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) forms an integral part of
the research project. Collecting, maintaining and analysing
of Centre data are done on an ongoing basis. This information,
which assists in identifying gaps in services and changes in
trends, is used to inform existing and new services. We will
be introducing a more comprehensive system of monitoring
and evaluation at the Centre, which will include both
internal and external M&E components. This will help to
inform what we are doing right and where shifts of focus
or changes need to be made. An on-going challenge in the
M&E process is collection of reliable statistical data.
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Another important evaluation tool is recording testimonies
of the women who have used our services. This takes the
form of voice, photographic as well as digital recordings of
their experiences of gender-based violence and how they
are dealing with their situations. The women’s stories help
us to assess the extent to which our services have supported
them in their recovery. During the past year, we undertook a
digital diaries project, which involved eight shelter women
recording their experiences of abuse and recovery, over a
period of three months. Participants described the diary
recordings as being cathartic and helping with the healing
process. This culminated in the production of the Centre’s
second movie Beyond the Shadow: Video diaries of women
survivors of gender-based violence. The movie was screened
at, among others, Norway’s National Gender Conference in
April 2011, which the Centre director attended.
We also facilitated a photographic project run by
photographer, Warren Nelson of Mirror Images which
helped participants with the process of self restoration by
encouraging self-reflection through the photographs.
We are in the process of writing up part two of the
development of the Saartjie Baartman Centre. This report
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2011 Annual Review
is important as an M&E tool, as it informs our existing and
new services. It also serves to inform government and other
organisations in the sector about the one-stop centre model.
Highlights of the report will include evaluation, strategic
planning and restructuring processes, changes in the
Board of Management, development of Centre and partner
projects, successes, challenges, and lessons learnt.
Over the past year, the research project facilitated students
conducting research at the Centre. The students were
attached to institutions such as the University of Cape Town,
University of the Western Cape, University of Stellenbosch
and Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Other projects undertaken included coordination of the
use of the Internet by shelter and second-stage residents,
and running a library for our resident women and children.
These have proven to be extremely empowering for the
women, as they are able to search and apply for jobs and
accommodation, and communicate with the outside world
via the Internet.
Capacity-building initiatives included attending a
filmmaking course run by UCT’s Centre for Film and

Media studies and a workshop hosted by Women’s Net,
who co-ordinated funding for the digital diaries project on
behalf of Take Back The Tech! Small Grants (TBTT). Here,
we presented our projects and exchanged social media
networking skills. I was interviewed on behalf of SBC by
Special Assignment (SABC 3) for a three-part show about
gender-based violence, in which SBC was featured.
During the year ahead, the research project will continue
with its monitoring and evaluation process and writing up
of the development of the Centre. We intend to raise funds
so that we can continue with existing projects, including
digital diaries as well as embark on future identified
research projects. We hope to work in closer collaboration
with surrounding universities and colleges.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank participants
of the digital diaries, and photographic projects for
courageously sharing their most painful experiences in order
to help others. Thank you to TBTT for funding the digital
diaries project and Shelley Barry of twospinningwheels
productions for facilitating the project. Thanks to Laura
Mannie whose help was invaluable throughout the process.
Thank you also to Warren Nelson for volunteering his
expertise and time to undertake the photographic project,
Mirror Images: Remembering Me.
In closing, I wish to reaffirm our commitment to oppose
violence, especially against women, children and other
vulnerable groups. One of the challenges we face is to get
all stakeholders, including NGOs, CBOs, government and
the corporate sector to work together in our endeavours to
create a society that is free of violence and where everyone
enjoys equal rights.
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Saartjie Baartman Residential
Programme
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME MANAGER - Hermien Gibson
ijoined the SBC team in April 2011 as the new
residential programme manager, and was joined in
May by Kryska Marquard as the new programme
assistant. Kryska lives on the SBC premises, adding
to the centre’s ability to provide a 24-hour service to
women and children experiencing domestic violence.
She answers night-time calls, supervises the residents
with any after-hours queries, and oversees the Centre’s
after-hours operations.
Early in April, the residential team, empowerment team,
and centre management attended a strategic planning
workshop, facilitated by Jane Bennett, to strategize how
we could work together to best cater to the needs of
the SBC clients. It is, however, an ongoing process, in
which we constantly revaluate the programme, so as to
optimally touch the lives of our clients through support
and education. We strive to empower our clients to
be safe, happy, independent and skilled citizens of
the world.
Residential Programme
Reports
The SBC team continues to provide the best possible
services to all our clients. Services include emergency,
short- (average of four months) and medium-term
(average of one year) accommodation to survivors of
domestic violence. During the period September 2010-
August 2011, we housed 114 women and 137 children
in short-term accommodation, and at any one time, an
average of 7 women and 14 children in medium-term
accommodation. Figure 3 reflects the total number of
short-term, new & current residents (335 women and
03
439 children) housed on a monthly basis. This equates
to a monthly average of 28 women and 37 children.
Residents received individual and group counselling,
psycho-educational workshops, and parenting support
groups and workshops, as well as legal advice,
intervention and court preparation.
Figure 3. Number of women & children in residential
Programme
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sept 2010
Oct 2010
Nov 2010
We endeavour to provide economic empowerment to
the women living at SBC and surrounding communities.
Saartjie Baartman Centre residents and clients were
assisted in developing their résumés, acquired much
needed computer skills, and were assisted in applying
for jobs. The Centre provided income-generating tasks
such as office cleaning, car washing and kitchen
assistance to the women.
SBC Residential Programme
Resident Women Resident Children
Dec 2010
Jan 2011
Feb 2011
Mar 2011
Apr 2011
May 2011
Jun 2011
Jul 2011
Aug 2011
We will be resuming our training courses in life
skills, home-based care, HIV/AIDS and first aid. We
will be expanding our computer training programme,
2011 Annual Review
19

20
A resident in sAArtjie BAArtmAn residentiAl ProgrAmme writes
A letter to her younger selF
Dear Alicia
I am writing this letter to you, my younger self, with
courage and self esteem. You may not believe it, but I
am now a 22-year-old woman and since I was you, I’ve
made a lot of bad decisions in life. The opportunities that
came my way — that are still coming your way — are all
down the drain. But still I am going strong. As you know,
I had a wonderful childhood and the best parents anyone
could have ever asked for. All they wanted was for me to
be successful. My mother was, and still is, my role model.
I passed matric in 2006 (yes, you will pass) and everyone
was very proud. I knew I could be anything I wanted to,
but still nothing was good enough for me at that time.
In 2007 I got involved with the most amazing guy,
or so I thought. Everything was perfect for a while and
then it all crumbled. He started abusing me, and it never
crossed my mind once that I was being abused. He would
tell me every time when the hitting and kicking finally
stopped that “it is all your fault”. He would tell me, “you
are a piece of rubbish, you belong with the garbage”. And
hard as it may be for you to believe right now, I thought it
was true. The abuse became part of my life. Not a month
would pass without me having to cover up bruised, blue
eyes. I had to walk with long sleeved shirts in summer to
cover my battered, bruised body. I started hating myself
because now, without a doubt in my mind, I would tell
myself “you are nothing”. There were times when he
would take me some place where no-one could intervene.
One evening he took me to another house and started
beating me for no reason. I thought that was the end of
my life. I kept begging “please don’t, please stop, I am
sorry”, but neither my tears nor the blood pouring down
my face could stop him. I started praying “please God
just let it be over, just take me away from this hell I am
2011 Annual Review
in”. I wanted to die so badly that night, but the thought
of my two-year-old daughter kept me fighting for my
life. I started running out of options, must I go or should
I stay was my biggest dilemma. I didn’t want to take my
daughter away from her family, but I had no choice — it
was either that or the fact that one day she will grow up
without a mother in her life. And that I couldn’t do. There
was still a lot of pain inside me. Who gave him the right
to do this to me?
One day I decided I had had enough — I decided I
am not putting myself and my daughter through this
any more. I packed my bags and made that decision to
never look back again. Later, so many things kept running
through my mind, how I would lie to him and not even
feel ashamed or guilty because that was my way of
hurting him back. How there were times when he would
just start being moody and get angry for no reason, and
I would ask “please God, not again, I can’t take it any
more”. How I considered killing myself just to be released
from my pain. I am no longer ashamed of what I’ve been
through because I know it wasn’t my fault. I want to tell
you, and all the women who are still young, don’t make
the mistakes so many of us have made. No one deserves
to be abused. I am now on my way to recovery and am
grateful that I got a second chance. It’s a chance I am
going to use wisely. And no-one is going to mess it up for
me because this is my life. I am going to make the best of it.
And I am taking back everything I lost through the abuse.
(Originally published in The Big Issue 12 Aug-1 Sept
2010)

curriculum vitae writing, interview preparation, and
catering. Further, we will be collaborating with projects
such as Theatre of the Oppressed.
International volunteers running a children’s programme
Skilled and eager local volunteers have also kindly
volunteered their time and assistance, and were utilised
mostly in the child care centre. We have a resident
with early childhood development training working
in the crèche. The assistance in dealing with up to 30
children under the age of ten is much appreciated. We
are in the process of securing the services of a children’s
counsellor to work on a full time basis.
Much of the residential programme’s success is due to
the hard work and dedication of a group of local and
international volunteers who shared their skills and
experience with our residents, and assisted staff in the
daily operation of the residential programme. We are
very fortunate to have long-standing relationships with
Marquette University in Illinois, Chapel Hill University
in North Carolina, and the University of Kentucky in
Lexington, USA. In addition to this, we have extended
tracey iS reSident in the Saartjie Baartman
reSidential Programme.
I said “enough is enough” and moved away from my
abusive husband to start a new life with my four children at
the Saartjie Baartman Centre in Manenberg. I’ve been at the
Centre for three months now. I was married for eight years –
we had a good marriage.
Although my husband had smacked me before, I did
not make too much of it at the time. Three years ago he
physically abused me to the point where I had a gash in
my scalp, but he refused to take me to hospital out of fear
that he would be arrested. Since that incident, I was never
comfortable around him. I stayed in the relationship because
I was financially dependent on him. But after he physically
abused the children, I left home with them. We left with
nothing. All I had were the clothes on my back. For a few
days I stayed with family until I moved in to the Saartjie
Baartman Residential Programme. Although leaving was
difficult, I have grown into a stronger woman. This is the
only way I am going to gain my independence. They provide
us with counselling here. Before I met my husband, I was a
strong independent woman.
The abuse broke me down. When I came here, I was this
weak person. I have definitely grown here; it is through the
support of the Centre. Although the situation is new for my
children, I am doing it for them. I am excited that I will be
starting a new job soon. I am on my journey to my new life
but I must admit, it is hard going alone. However, I am so
happy that I will be able to support my children.” ... Every
choice I am making now is for the benefit of my children.
Women must not be afraid to leave an abusive relationship.
When there are children in the relationship, they suffer more
than you. You have to think about the children. You have the
power in you to change the situation. We are in control of
our destiny. Women need to learn to stand together to fight
against abuse. When you strike a woman, you strike a rock.
Many rocks put together can make a mountain.
(Adapted from an article originally published in
Athlone News 10 August 2011)
2011 Annual Review
21

SBC awareness- and fund-raiser hosted in Kentucky, USA by an
ex-volunteer
the volunteer programme by forming new relationships
with the Volunteer Centre in Athlone.
In the midst of the ongoing prevalence of domestic
violence in South Africa, the residential programme
strives to utilise every opportunity to advocate against
and educate citizens about the scourge. We took
part in a ‘flash mob’ organized by the Mother Tongue
Project, participated in research initiatives in the form
of interviews, and collaborated with various media
initiatives around domestic
violence awareness-raising. The
residential team continues to
represent SBC on the Women’s
Shelter Movement and Counter
Trafficking Coalition – two
forums that dedicate their time
to advocacy, support and
education of individuals and
communities challenged by
interpersonal violence. We were
also happy for the opportunity
to present a semester module
about gender-based violence to
fourth year nursing students of
the Universities of the Western
Cape and Stellenbosch – in order
22
2011 Annual Review
to educate future nursing practitioners on how to best
support survivors of gender-based violence.
Throughout the year we have experienced tremendous
support from private individuals, other shelters, and
corporate companies sharing their time and resources
with us. We are very grateful for their material, monetary
and voluntary service contributions to the crèche and
residential programme. Further, we greatly appreciate the
establishment of a child play therapy room and emergency
intake room in the residential building. We appreciate the
support we received throughout the year and especially
around Madiba Day and Women’s Month in August. We
thank Noele for Jazz, Jeanette Morris, ATKV, Air Traffic &
Navigation Services, Gene Louw Traffic College, Sanlam,
Soroptomists, People of Peace, Old Mutual Pinelands,
Engen, Robin Goode, Woolworths Canal Walk, Woolworths
Belvedere, Gift of the Givers, Momentum, Hope for all
Nations, The Body Shop, Hillsong, Eskom Bellville, SARS,
The South African Post Office, South African Police Services
(SAPS) Women’s Group and everyone else who supported
us in any way.

We hope to continue the inspirational work of previous
and current members of staff and plan to extend the
residential programme in the areas of job skills training,
child care services, and collaboration with like-minded
organisations. This will, however, only be possible with
the continued support of our donors, volunteers, and
existing partners.
In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who
has donated money, time or goods to the Centre. I
also wish to thank the SBC board, director, manager,
staff and partner organisations for welcoming me to
this magnificent team of dedicated professionals. To
the residential team, particularly Kryska Marquard,
Patricia Lotz, Rabia Floris and all the volunteers,
thank you for your support, constructive criticism and
commitment to making the new SBC residential team
a successful work in progress. We are grateful for the
trust that was placed in us as individuals and as a newly
formed team.
Eerste Begin Residential Programme
PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR - Heather West
aAfter three years in existence, Eerste Begin
Residential Programme continues to provide
short term accommodation and services to
women and children from the rural areas, who have
experienced domestic violence. Sadly, two of our ex-
residents passed away in July 2011, which was a shock
to us as staff. We extend heartfelt condolences to their
families.
Over the past year, we provided accommodation and
services for 22 women and 29 children. Our main sources
of referral continue to be SAPS and the Department of
Social Development. Although most of our referrals
are from Worcester and surrounding areas, we do find
that there is an increase in the number of referrals from
places as far afield as Beaufort-West.
In terms of counselling and empowerment, we have a
more structured approach. This includes individual and
group counselling as well as workshops about relevant
topics. We encourage residents to take responsibility
for getting their plans into place for achieving their
goals before they leave the shelter. This is monitored
regularly. Residents find it very empowering when they
accomplish their goals – by themselves.
Saartjie Baartman Centre’s legal project provided legal
assistance. Residents attended a practical parenting
2011 Annual Review
23

Air your dirty laundry campaign
skills course presented by FAMSA and Soul City, as
well as a course on women and children’s health. We
continued with our arts and crafts project and residents
were given the opportunity to sell their beading products
at a market.
We continue to sustain relationships we formed
with various governmental and non-governmental
organisations, businesses and churches. We are working
closely with Child Welfare, which is beneficial to us,
especially with regards to following-up residents when
they leave the residential programme. We are also
networking with staff from the Thuthuzela Care Centre.
24
SucceSS Story
Our first resident has secured a permanent job as a
merchandiser for chain stores and has found a place to
stay for herself and her four children – away from the
abusive partner.
2011 Annual Review
On Women’s Day, all
residents were invited
to an event organised by
FAMSA. During the 16
Day of Activism, we held
our first Air your dirty
laundry campaign, which
was a huge success.
Children from a primary
school in the area were
invited to participate in
the event. The children
found it empowering to
paint anti-abuse messages
on T-shirts. Churches and
the local radio station continue to invite us to do talks.
Air your dirty laundry campaign

Air your dirty laundry campaign
diary extract of a reSident
My (berading) sessies wat ek by Eerste Begin gekry het,
het my weer eens laat glo daar is hoop – jy moet net aan
hou self glo, en vir jou self glo, en vir jou self vra ”gaan ek
tou opgooi of gaan ek aanhou?” want dit wat jy glo, sal
vir jou waar word. Want dis wat my ‘n sterker vrou in 2011
gemaak het.
Translation: The (counselling) sessions I received at
Eerste Begin enabled me to believe, once again, that
there is hope and that you must continue to believe in
yourself and to ask yourself “am I going to give up or
am I going to persevere?” because what you believe, will
become reality. This is what has made me a stronger
woman in 2011.
(Extract from a diary of a resident who had killed her
husband as a result of prolonged abuse.)
We find that, by the time the women
leave the residential programme,
their attitudes are generally more
positive about the future than when
they arrived. We find, however,
that many become attached to
the residential programme, which
makes it difficult for them to leave.
The biggest challenge the women
encounter is securing jobs and
accommodation when they leave
the residential programme.
During the year ahead, we would
like to create more income
generating opportunities for
residents by introducing additional
arts and crafts projects and by starting a vegetable
garden. We intend to continue monitoring and
evaluating our current structured programme to ensure
that it remains effective and relevant. Staff development
and support will continue to be a priority as a way to
ensure growth and development. We are proud to have
extended our awareness-raising programmes to the
surrounding farm areas in order to empower women
in the rural areas. We are also in discussion with the
social worker in Rawsonville and the chairperson of the
Farmers Association in the Brandwacht area.
In conclusion, the residential programme staff members
wish to thank all our funders, donors and volunteers for
their ongoing support and assistance. Special thanks to
Cape Winelands District Municipality, Shoprite, Clicks,
People’s Church, Worcester Hospital, Susan Neethling
and Mrs Everts.
2011 Annual Review
25

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
Members of the Board
Gill Kerchhoff : Chairperson
Lilian Chenwi : Vice-chairperson
Sharon Kouta : Secretary
June Pym : Treasurer
Synnøv Skorge : Director
Ilse Ahrends : Staff representative
Crystal Orderson : Board member
Nokuthula Shabalala : Board member
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
On-site partners
Anex CDW (Activists networking against the exploitation of
child domestic workers)
Childline/Lifeline
Gender DynamiX
Khululeka
Unani-Tibb
Off-site partners
African Gender Institute, University of Cape Town
Psychology Department, University of the Western Cape
International Organisation for Migration
UWC Community Law Centre
Psychology Department, Bergen University
Marquette University, Illinois
University of Connecticut
Chapel Hill University, North Carolina
Child Guidance Clinic, University of Cape Town
Centre Structures,
Partners and Staff
04
CURRENT STAFF MEMBERS
Ilse Ahrends Empowerment manager
Felicity Dirkse Assistant chef
Felicity Fransman Eerste Begin Night/
weekend supervisor
Dorothea Gertze Social worker
Hermien Gibson Residential manager
Johanna Hector Eerste Begin Social worker
Fatima Ismail Psychological counsellor
Shumeeze Johaardien Financial administrator/
Catering manager
Bertha Klein Eerste Begin Night/
weekend supervisor
Cindy Layman Office administrator
Kenneth Lockman Maintenance worker
Irma Maharaj Researcher
Kryska Marquard Residential assistant
Shaheema McLeod Centre manager
Charmaine Morris Paralegal advisor
Synnøv Skorge Centre director
Michelle Smith Receptionist
Heather West Eerste Begin Project
co-ordinator
2011 Annual Review
27

Statement of responsibility by the board of
management for the period April 2010 -
March 2011
The board of management is responsible for monitoring
the preparation, integrity and fair presentation of the
financial statements and related information included
in this annual report of the Saartjie Baartman Centre for
Women and Children.
The financial statements presented have been conducted
in accordance with statements of South African Auditing
Standards and Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
They include amounts and disclosures based on
appropriate accounting policies and reasonable estimates
and judgements by the board of management.
The board of management has adopted the going concern
basis in preparing the financial statements and believes
the organisation will continue to be a going concern in
the foreseeable future based on forecasts and available
financial resources.
Financial Report
05
The financial statements have been audited by the
independent auditors, DCA Charted Accountants (SA).
The auditors had unrestricted access to all financial
records and relevant data. The board of management is
of the opinion that all representations and disclosures
made to the independent auditors during the audit are
appropriate and valid.
The audit report of DCA Charted Accountants (SA) is
presented on page 30
The financial statements were approved by the board of
management and are signed on its behalf.
June Pym
Treasurer
2011 Annual Review
29

30
2011 Annual Review
Balance Sheet as at
31 March 2011
06

SAARTJIE BAARTMAN CENTRE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
NPO reg. no. 014-121 NPO
Klipfontein Road, Athlone
P O Box 38401, Gatesville, 7766
Tel: (021) 633 5287
Fax: (021) 637 3487
e-mail: info@womenscentre.co.za
www.saartjiebaartmancentre.org.za
Photography: Warren Nelson, Clare Louise Thomas and SBC staff members
Graphic Design: Melissa Smith - melissas1@telkomsa.net