Lend a hand to finish safe houses for victims

A board of directors has already been established for the planned Jedidiah Safe Haven and Crisis Centre in Melodie and anyone interested is invited to join them at the smallholding on Saturday 13 February when they hope to complete the three temporary safe houses where victims can be accommodated.
The founding meeting was held at Amanzingwe Bush Lodge on 16 January where directors were appointed and Mrs. Stephanie Bentley was elected as chairperson.
Bentley told Kormorant that the name of Jedidiah Safe Haven and Crisis Centre has been registered with the Department of Trade and Industry and that they hope to register an Article 21 Company within the next two weeks which will make them a Non-Profit Organisation.
The aim of the centre is to create a temporary home for especially child victims of rape, neglect, abuse and domestic violence. Bentley explained that there is currently no such haven or crisis centre in the Brits/Hartbeespoort area which means that victims have nowhere to go.
She said that the purpose of the centre is not to spoil victims but to empower them. They hope to eventually be able to assist victims of serious and violent crimes, any kind of trauma, domestic violence and any form of abuse and also homeless elderly.
Until the Jedidiah Safe Haven and Crisis Centre has been completed the three safe houses, which they hope to complete on Saturday 13 February, will serve this purpose.
Two architects, Errol Bakker and Ross Elliott-Dalow as well as an engineer, Bertus Broekhuizen have already visited the site. Plans are to build a three storey centre to accommodate 40 children, both girls and boys, with house parents for both genders for supervision. Bentley said that the centre will be environmentally friendly and they hope to make it independent of any municipal services.
According to her directors have been appointed for the logistics portfolio as well as communication and marketing, legal, financial and special projects. They still, however, need professional people such as doctors, social workers, therapists and councillors to assist with the empowerment of the victims.
Bentley explained that the Jedidiah Safe Haven and Crisis Centre project is a community project and ties in to the Community Policing Forum’s Victim Empowerment Project (VEP) where the VEP supports the victims while the project will empower them.
She thanked all the donors and volunteers who are already involved in the project by volunteering their time, their skills and donating necessities such as food and clothes.
For the work to be completed on the temporary safe houses next Saturday they need tiles, ceiling board, ceiling paint, roof paint, bricks, electrical appliances for the kitchens and cutlery and they are also in need of office equipment and stationary.
Residents who want to get involved can contact Bentley on 072 383 7294. The safe houses are located at Plot 15, Melodie in Hartbeespoort.

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3 February 2010