KUSILE Women Empowerment Centre (KWEC) in Stutterheim received a much-needed donation from department of correctional services officials (DCS) from the AmatholeManagement Area last week.
The donation included toiletries, goodies for women, sweets, biscuits and a variety of refreshments.
Pic: SIVUYISIWE MATANGA
KWEC is a day house for victims of domestic violence and crime and offers counselling and assistance in terms of reporting cases and incidents to the South African Police Services.
The centre was identified by Stutterheim DCS social worker Nombuyiselo Matiyase and the initiative championed by the Women’s Forum Structure, led by its chair Siphokazi Hlakanyana.
“Donations were collected from women in the management area to buy all the items for them and we as the Women’s Forum Structure championed this initiative of ours as it falls in the month where women are also being recognised,” Hlakanyana said.
“We have reached out to many other areas in the past, such as Fort Beaufort where we have donated, so as a forum we have had a meeting together with our stakeholders and a decision was taken that Stutterheim could also benefit from our programmes.”
Hlakanyana said there were two representatives from each correctional centre, including community corrections officers.
“At some stage we were demoralised and felt that we need a revival as a structure as things were not happening and decided to go on a roadshow, visiting all the centres, motivating officials,” she added.
“We also noticed that there are issues at our place of work, especially matters that involve women, so we decided to iron out those issues during our road show and visits to the centres.”
