Place of Safety by Nonceba Family Counselling Centre

Background:

'Nonceba',is isiXhosa for 'empathy' .We are a registered NPO that was was established in response to high levels of reported violence against children (child rape and abuse) in Khayelitsha. Khayelitsha is a partially informal township in the Western Cape, located on the Cape Flats of Cape Town. It is the largest township in the Western Cape and has an estimated population of 1 million people. According to STATS SA, more than 50% of residents are unemployed and live in abject poverty. SAPS, Crime Statistics for Khayelitsha indicate high levels of reported child rape and violence against women and children. It is estimated that one in three children living in Khayelitsha suffers serious sexual abuse by the age of 18.

The lack of effective community emergency intervention facilities, including an over-burdened police force (which no longer accommodates a specialized child protection unit), and an under-resourced state welfare system results in delays in response to the high burden of child abuse and domestic violence experienced in the area. Sexual abuse and violence strips women and children of their dignity, the ability to respond quickly and appropriately is essential in stabilizing survivors and supporting the healing process. The need for immediate, appropriate intervention prompted the establishment of The Nonceba Centre Trust.

Starting from very humble beginnings, the centre started as a single-room consulting practice run by volunteers/ lay people from the community. In 2008, the organization received a major financial boost for the building of a new centre. The new centre hosts a therapeutic counseling clinic with five consulting rooms and a therapeutic play-therapy room. In addition, the new centre accommodates a residential safe house, able to accommodate 22 women and children. The Nonceba Trust Centre is hailed as a landmark building.

Problem Statement:

Solution

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