Break the Silence Campaigns

Our Break the Silence Team ensures that everyone in our community is well informed on their rights and responsibilities on topics such as Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, HIV and Social Grants. The Team consists of four Technical Assistants (TAs) who each supervise 9 Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) nominated by the communities in which they live. Once trained, the CLOs’ task is to campaign throughout their area, encouraging people to speak out against and report all forms of abuse and a Media & Event Coordinator who . They are also tasked with assisting their communities to form support groups, and overnight ‘safe houses’ for women and children at risk. In the first two years of operation, a total of 160 CLOs have been trained and activated. Help Desk

We have Help Desks operating in 14 clinics in rural areas and in Central Officer, as well as advisors (Volunteers) who give information to the community about domestic violence, child abuse, protection order, maintenance, HIV/AIDS, social grants and where to go when applying for ID copies and what is needed. Dramas

TVEP has developed educational workshops and campaigns focusing on four core topics: domestic violence, sexual assault, rape and HIV/AIDS. Drama is used as a creative means to educate the community about their rights and to promote TVEP’s services to those who need them. TVEP empowers drama groups through skill development and generating income. Zero Tolerance Villages Alliance (ZTVA)

Campaigns and workshops are conducted every day in eight villages in the Thulamela Municipality. These villages were hot spots of domestic violence, rape/sexual assault, child abuse and HIV/AIDS (Lunungwi, Tshiombo, Khubvi, Tshivhilidulu, Dzwerani, Tshifudi, Xihosana and Maniini). Community leaders are encouraged to own the project and they are having safe house.  

Public “Sensitisation” Workshops / Media and events

These workshops are for “frontline” people such as police, hospital and clinic staff, court officials, traditional councils and civic organisations, to ensure that they know the laws pertaining to domestic violence and sexual assault. Special emphasis is placed on encouraging men to attend. The purpose of the event and media coordinator is to produce a plan for event and commemoration that promote our (TVEP) 4 thematic areas which are Domestic Violence, HIV/AIDS, Sexual assaults, Child Abuse. Review the trends emerging from data analysis and identify issues for events or campaigns and implement a communication and social marketing plan for TVEP to promote the organisation and its services and also Co-ordinate and facilitate the activities of the campaigns committee for all TVEP campaigns.  

Our challenges

The Tshilidzini Trauma Centre has assisted an average of 37 raped women and children every month since it opened. National ‘guest mates’ indicate that less that 10% of rape cases are reported to the police. If this is true, then approximately 370 women and children are raped every month in the catchments area of this one hospital alone. Tragically, nearly 60% of these victims are children. The domestic violence figures are equally shocking: the Tshilidzini Trauma Centre helps an average of 70 women every month. Statistics from the Donald Fraser Trauma Centre, opened on 9th February 2004, indicate that they will match the Tshilidzini statistics for both rape and domestic violence. However, the task of TVEP is not only to provide support to those who come to us for help, but also to empower everyone - children and adults alike - so that they do ‘speak out’ and report all such crimes. This is perhaps the most difficult challenge of all, as it sometimes requires us to change the mindsets of people in positions of authority. It even brings us into conflict, now and again, with a few people who still use their misinterpretation of our customary laws as validation for the on-going oppression and/or abuse of women and children. Fortunately, neither our constitution nor the majority of our Traditional Leaders condone such attitudes, and so we have been able to forge many healthy partnerships throughout Thulamela.