924 challenge Impacts on Training!

SOFTS SKILLS TRAINING (924 CHALLENGE) 29-30 NOVEMBER & 3 DECEMBER 2012



Matla a Bana once again secured the sponsorship of training from our loyal training providers LEAP, Reach Africa and Owitz marketing for 20 FCS commanders. This training was part of the 924 challenge sponsors secured. This training emphasised the importance of the 16 Days of Activism campaign creating awareness on “No violence against women and children”.


The senior FCS delegates were equipped and empowered with unique skills and ability to lead by example.

Eastgate Courtyard Hotel sponsored the venue and Sandton Townlodge the catering.

Together with the business community we definitely made a difference.

Our cyclists getting ready

We are very proud of our group of 14 cyclists who will take part in the Xtreme for Kids cycle tour and the Cape Argus Cycle Race. The group consists mainly of men who have decided to stand up against abuse. Included also in our group is well-known singer, Annique. The Xtreme tour will start on the 28th and the group will cycle from Johannesburg to Cape Town where the rest of the team will join them for the Cape Argus. Thanx guys (and girls!) for your dedication!

Parow Prosecutors Trained

We would like to thank Cat Rieper who assisted MAB by training the prosecutors at Parow Court on Monday. This two hour training session was focused on the trauma and the needs of the child-victim. A short debriefing session followed and we once again realized who traumatized the officers of the law is as well.

Incentive Awards

The Gauteng Incentive Awards will take place again thanx to our loyal sponsors. Thank you MassMart and Grain Trust for making this possible! The winning cop who will be awarded next week has made headlines by solving a serious high profile case - but you have to wait and see who it is!

Strat session

Charities should be run like a business. That is our approach. MAB managers in a serious strat session today to plan for this year. Last year we helped 20 000 children - it is sad to say that this year we hope to be able to help more.

Thank you to all our sponsors. You are in our minds as we do our planning for this year!

Thank you also to O R Tambo City Lodge who is sponsoring our accommodation and breakfast for our trustees.

Theraphy Pilot project WC

We have managed to secure the services of a therapist who is already working at the Parow court with victims.  She will start on 1 March and will work 10 hours per week at a discounted rate.

Together with the NPA we have decided to help 5 children who has already been identified. These are the worst cases. In addition to that there is one little girl who was severely raped by her father. The case had to be eventually withdrawn and he was released due to her inability to testify. She will also be included in the group of 10 children who will be helped, as she was the motivation for this project. The remaining 4 children will be new cases identified by the court's social worker and prosecutors.

We have decided to do it this way so that we can monitor how successful early intervention is.  We will use March to see what the response and attendance is (many parents do not have money for taxis ets - so we will be able to establish what the challenges are).

We will use the next two weeks to renovate one of the offices at Bellville court to be child friendly so that it can be ready in March.

We are also looking at the possibility of launching a volunteer program where we train volunteers in assisting the children who are done with the court process. We have identified a wonderful program that was designed specifically for this. We will run this separately from the above program as the initial cost for training and books are expensive. We will have to find additional funding for this.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for making this come true:
Grand West Casino
Dischem Foundation
Interkaap
Gordon Rademeyer

MEN AGAINST RAPE

For many years the public were scared to call rapists by their gender for fear of stereotyping. But for many years NGO’s working in the field of abuse have seen the affects of deeds done by men. A solidarity report says that a child is raped in South Africa every 3 minutes. Most of these are young girls between 8 and 12. Most of them have been raped by someone they know. This someone is a father, a grandfather, a brother, the mother’s boyfriend, the neighbour – all of them men.

The extremely violent rape and death of a student in India and more recently in Bredasdorp has highlighted the fact that the offenders are indeed violent and ruthless men. It is also becoming more evident that the current reporting and intervention systems dismally fail the victims of these offences. Many cases, especially where children have been raped, are thrown out of court because of the inability of the child to testify. In these cases medical evidence is of utmost importance, but a lack of proper training in the field of forensic medical examinations results in doctors who are not equipped to do the examination, let alone testify in court. Therapy during and after the court process is none existent and it is a luxury only the wealthy can afford.

This paints a grim picture of the situation in South Africa. It has become an unsafe environment for women and female children where perpetrators roam free and victims are deserted. Currently many of the NGO’s working in the field of women and child abuse are running responsive programmes. And they are overwhelmed even with the low reporting rates. They also acknowledge that this is a pandemic that they cannot stop, they can only help. So who should take responsibility for this then?

During the opening of a Matla A Bana Child friendly Reporting Facility at Ceres Police station, Western Cape police commissioner, General Lamoer, challenged men to take responsibility for these deeds. He reiterated this message during the 16 Days of Activism Campaign. He boldly acknowledgeD that men are indeed the perpetrators and that change will only come from men standing up and taking action. Like drunken drivers and alcoholics they need to admit that they have a problem. Only once this start happening will this terrible problem be addressed.

A group of business executives, and all men, from Johannesburg took up his challenge. Originally included in the Matla A Bana Cape Argus team, they have now undertaken to cycle from Johannesburg to Cape Town. During this tour they will be visiting schools in the regions and doing interviews to spread this message. Their dream is that this Xtreme For Kids Tour will grown into a national event during which men have the opportunity to raise their voices against women and child abuse.

“It is initiatives like this and the participation of men that can tip the scale”, says Matla A Bana CEO Monique Strydom. “Where we work you will find women helping other women to pick up the pieces. Very few men actually become involved in the restoration work after the deed was done. But they can make a huge difference by speaking out and setting examples for young men out there”.

It is time that South Africa is no longer seen as a country where children are being raped and abused, but as a true reflection of the rainbow nation it claims to be.

For more information on Matla A Bana or the Xtremeforkids Cycle tour, please visit www.matlaabana.co.za

CAPE TALK SHARES OUR SENTIMENT

Cape Talk interviewed Monique Strydom today and will do so again tomorrow. Her message is that men must stand up and take responsibility for their deeds.

Beauty is not skin deep!

Last year we told you about Kayleigh Victor, a very young beauty queen, who managed to win R 30 000 for Matla A Bana in the Roman's Pizza Double Up Challenge. Well, she has inspired other young beauty queens to also show their passion for children in need.


Matla A Bana was chosen as a beneficiary of the  Mr & Miss Enchanted Competition,  hosted by Miss Teen Africa, Katelyn Strydom. Katelyn, together with Miss Petite Africa, Elchelique Prinsloo & Miss Tiny Africa, Natanja Prinsloo, donated a large amount of products raised by them.  Including 27 comfort packs, bar fridge for DNA samples, children's furniture and toys. These donations were allocated to the  Pretoria Moot FCS, working in central Pretoria.

Matla a Bana would like to thank these precious young girls for making a difference and reaching out to abused children!

CAPE TALK COMES TO THE RESCUE

After hearing about the plight of many children at Parow Court, Cape Talk decided to step in and help MAB raise funds to start a theraphy program.  During the day of the 14 December Cape Talk highlighted the need and also interviewed Col Harry (SAPS) and Cat Rieper (Social worker). Monique Strydom also had a great afternoon in the Cape Talk Studios as guest of John Maytham. In the end volunteers offered their services and two big groups made considerable donations. More than R 150 000 was raised. We would like to thank John, all at Cape Talk, Intercape and specifically Dischem Foundation and Grand West Casino for their enormous contribution.  The project will be launched as a pilot project and will start in February 2013.

Only rich people can afford to be raped

Parow Court is currently having to deal with many children who are so traumatized that they cannot testify. They need extensive theraphy and help. At R 500plus a session many of these families cannot afford the theraphy and if the children cannot testify, the offenders might go free. Here are some of their stories:

1. MARIA (8 years)

I was raped by an old lady who pushed something into me (front the front and behind), to rid me of an illness. Someone told the court about this. When the police took me to the hospital the doctor told them that someone else has been raping me for year. In fact the doctor said that I have the v-gina of a woman who has been married for 5 years. I am only 8 years old. This rape has been happening in my own house. The court wants me to tell them who did this - but I cannot tell them. I need therapy to help me tell... (extreme trauma. Child had to go back home where the offence took place because she cannot talk and there is no other evidence). 

2. REBECCA (14 YEARS)

I attended a sport event. There was an evil man there. He was out on parole for raping someone. He grabbed me and took me aside where he raped me for a long time. I had to face him in court. It was terrible. Then he got a lawyer. I had to go to court again. I was so scared I for the first time in my life I got an epileptic attack. I could not testify. I need therapy to help me deal with this and to testify against him. (Extreme trauma triggering the attack. Child too traumatized to testify). 

3. MARA (4 years)

I am 4. I live with my sister and brother who are 1 and 2 under plastic sheets in Bellville South. One day workers from a factory heard me crying. When they found me they also found that I was raped. I was actually so torn apart that I will have to wear a little urine bag for the rest of my life. My father is very violent. He threw boiling water over my 2 year old sister. Half her scalp is burnt, she does not speak or walk. They want me to tell them who did this, but I cannot talk. We now live with my grandmother a block away. I need therapy to help me to talk and tell (Extreme trauma preventing child from disclosing).

4. SAMUEL (age 6)

I was raped by one man. Then another boy of 13 years raped my brother who is 8, and me. He does other horrible things to other children and even dogs. I have to testify against him, but I cannot even talk about the first man. Help me to tell so that I can get help.

GOODBYE AND HELLO

It is a new year and a new beginning. Well, perhaps for many kids who have just started school or those who have moved on to university. Here at Matla A Bana every year is a new beginning. We start the year off with gratitude to all those wonderful people and companies who have supported us during the last year. With happiness at our successes and the knowledge that we have managed to help many children.

But for many children in SA there is no new beginning. They have started this year knowing that daddies will keep on hurting them, that there is no hope and no future.

This year we once again undertake to help as many children who are hurting as possible. We undertake to make sure that they find hope again, that there is a future which is bright and filled with love.

When it comes to finding every year is a new beginning too. We need to secure funding and support all over again to continue what we are doing. But we know that it will be provided because we are not fighting this fight alone.

We wish all our supporters, volunteers and donors a very blessed 2013 and we hope to enjoy your continued support!

Monique Strydom (CEO MAB)

West Fleur Hospital victim facility opened

When MAB undertook to help rape victims at Wes Fleur Hospital (Atlantis) earlier this year, we did not know that it was going to happen so fast! Securing a container and finding a sponsor has proven one of the most difficult challenges we have faced for many year. Until MAB was chosen as the beneficiary charity for Old Mutual and Media 24 on Mandela Day. 1000's of comfort and snack packs turned into a facility, when Media 24 agreed to sponsor the container and Old Mutual Foundation the furnishings and fittings.  The facility is truly a simbol of what can be done when companies support charities. This facility was opened on 13 December. It has a seperate waiting area and medical examination room for rape victims.

Thank you to Media 24 and Old Mutual Foundation for your great support!

Sponsors rewarded!

Monique & Collin Cullis (Cape Talk)

The WC MAB office hosted a breakfast at the Pinelands City Lodge for Cape Town sponsors who could not be at the AGM. These sponsors supported MAB during the 2011/12 financial year. Included in this group was two local radio stations, Cape Talk and Radio Tygerberg, who's combined sponsorship was more than R 100 000. Rotary Claremont sponsored more than R 200 000 during this period, and this funding was used to open Child Friendly Facilities in Khyalitsha and Milnerton. 

Thank you very much to Graham and his staff at Pinelands City Lodge for treating us all like kings and thank you to all our donors without whom we would not have been able to do the work!

Our first Mpumalanga facility!

MAB opened it's first Child Friendly Facility in Mpumalanga yesterday. This was done to the notes of the police band and great happiness from the FCS officers who was astounded with the new container. The two-room container is a full facility with assessment and a monitoring room and audio visual recording facilities. This project was made possibly by the generous support of Roman's Pizza and their "Wipe that smile on your face" project. MAB child-friendly reporting facilities can also be found in the Western Cape and Gauteng.