2011 Report - Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children

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
2011 Annual Review
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