A Khayelitsha anti-abuse organisation is lifting the spirits of survivors of gender-based violence by treating them to a hair-do.
Founders of the The Great People of South Africa have teamed up with the popular Legends Barbershop to host an event dedicated to victims of GBV and femicide. The beneficiaries of the project will receive free haircuts while entertained by local artists.
“The goal is to put a smile on their faces. Mental health challenges amongst victims and survivors, including their families, is a social and economic issue we should all be pro-actively addressing,” said the organisation’s Zintle Khobeni.
“Let us look at both the primary and tertiary interventions/services that are available to survivors and victims, particularly in marginalised communities such as Town Two.”
She said the project was important to her community which was plagued by “poverty, lack of basic service delivery, high unemployment among the youth, drugs and alcoholism abuse”.
The barbershop’s regional manager, Nkululeko Komna said they joined forces with the NPO to give back and educate communities on GBV and mental health.
Last Friday, Minister of Police Bheki Cele released crime statistics for January to March that showed that 10 818 people were raped in the country and that sexual offences increased by 13.7%.
Four of the Western Cape’s police stations, Delft, Harare, Mfuleni and Kraaifontein, were the among those with the most rape cases reported. And 306 children were murdered in South Africa, an increase of 83 incidents when compared to the same period last year.
The event will take place on June 24.