Charity organisation restores the dignity of GBV survivors

Time Out

17-07-2025

Nelson Mandela once said: 'Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression'.
South Africa is still fighting to liberate women and children who are victims of abuse.
Statistics reveal that 51% of women in SA have experienced GBV, while 76% of men have perpetrated GBV at one stage in their lives.
Another report by the United Nations in South Africa reveals that '140 women and girls die every day at the hands of their partner or a close relative, which means one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes'.
A charity organisation in Yeoville, Johannesburg, has joined in the struggle to liberate women who are GBV survivors.
Ndawo Yakho has been transforming the lives of GBV survivors for over three decades.
With a vision of providing a home for women and their children who are victims of abuse, the shelter has moved from just being a home to a place of empowerment.
Victims who come to the shelter are empowered with skills to enable them to be financially independent.
It is also a place where the dignity of the victims is restored.
"Every day, the dedicated team at Ndawo Yakho works tirelessly to create an environment where women find solace, strength, and a pathway to a brighter future," says Ndawo Yakho's centre manager Zandi Tshabalala.
The 18-bed shelter accommodates women and their children for up to six months, providing for their basic needs and empowering them with skills for making beaded necklaces, arts and craft ornaments and sewing.
In addition to acquiring skills, the women also receive counseling from a social worker who provides them with practical skills to deal with the repercussions of the abuse.
The charity organisation survives on donations from private donors. Ndawo Yakho accepts donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries, toys, sanitary towels, cash donations, and clothes.