Help SAFFI Combat Domestic Violence
Hello! I am Christa Howarth, an exchange student in Cape Town, South Africa and an intern at the South African Faith and Family Institute, a small but important NGO working to prevent domestic violence .
I was placed at SAFFI through Marquette University's South Africa Service Learning Program, which matched me with them because of my interest in theology and religious studies. South Africa's strong religiousity is closely intertwined with pervasive patriarchal attitudes. This combination contributes to the acceptance and justification of domestic violence due to the misinterpreation of sacred scriptures from many faith traditions.
South Africa's rate of domestic violence and rape is 5 times higher than that of the rest of world (and that is not including the numerous cases of abuse that go unreported out of fear or lack of empowerment).
Among existing South African organizations fighting for gender justice, SAFFI's approach is uniquely faith based, to fit a specific aspect of the cause of the problem. SAFFI educates leaders of religious communities in Cape Town about the root causes of domestic and gender-based violence and provides them with the resources to address the cases in their communities.
The training programs, sensitizers, workshops and dialogues SAFFI runs have been very effective the last few years in raising awareness, changing attitudes, and providing support within Cape Town's communities, but the government has recently cut funding for SAFFI because SAFFI's unique approach does not fit nicely into one of its "categories".
Therefore, supporting SAFFI's important mission falls to concerned local and global community members, i.e., you and me.
Because the of steep exchange rate in favor of the US right now, raising $2000 American dollars will be approximately equal to just over R30,000 South African rand, a small but significant amount. Raising $3000 equals approximately just under R50,000.
The money we raise throughout my semester volunteering here will go directly to SAFFI's programs, which include Sensitizer Workshops, Five-Day Domestic Violence Pastoral/Spiritual Care Training, Prevention in Action Training, roundtable discussions with religouis leaders and SAFFI's 16 Days of Activism Conference, and the office support necessary to implement those programs.
To read more about SAFFI and its programs, please see their 2015 newletter.
Since coming to South Africa I have received warm welcomes at school, in town, and especially from the staff at SAFFI. Elizabeth, the founder and director of SAFFI, is dedicated to and focused on its cause and creates a spiritually centered workplace environment. Kwezi, the sole other full-time staff member, remains at SAFFI despite the lack of funds available for his salary because of his personal devotion to its mission.
Elizabeth, Kwezi, Zimkitha, Khanyisa, myself and the religous communities and violence-scarred families whom your donation will touch offer our immese gratitude for your support in the endeavor of combatting and preventing domestic violence.
To hear more from Elizabeth Peterson, as well as religious leaders from a span of faith traditions, take at look at the series of 30 second videos in SAFFI's "We Take a Stand" campaign:
Thank you and God bless!