JOHANNESBURG; 05 August, 2021 - As South Africa commemorates its 65th anniversary of the National Women’s Day in the month of August, Mould Empower Serve (MES) reflects on 35 years of bringing sustainable solutions to our vulnerable and homeless women in the inner cities of Johannesburg, Kempton Park, Gqeberha and Cape Town. Under the theme “Women Rising Above” we share 35 Stories of Hope from across our branches of women who have been part of the MES journey.
“The women who end up at MES shelters are those with numerous social challenges, victims of abuse, unemployed and stranded with nowhere to go. Most of them arrive in the inner city looking for opportunities to make ends meet and make a better life for their families,” states Leona Pienaar, CEO at MES. “When this does not work well, they reach out to MES, and we do our best to empower them with skills to help them integrate back into society as whole human beings. We empower them to support themselves and their families,” she adds.
MES provides vulnerable women in the inner city with a place of safety and a sense of belonging. Through a thorough assessment process, the organisation helps the women overcome their individual struggles by identifying the very cause of their vulnerabilities and taking active steps to support their recovery. “We have seen Women Rising Above Homelessness, Women Rising Above Poverty, Women Rising Above Hunger and Women Rising Above Abuse in the inner cities. “It is encouraging that what seems to be the smallest intervention such as a plate of food, a warm shower, or a bed for the night, uplifts the spirits of each individual woman. In our own way, we work at empowering them and making an impact in their lives,” states Pienaar.
“The support of our donors and individual volunteers not only enables the work we do, but also makes us stronger together. In this light, MES is appealing to all Friends of MES to help us fundraise over R35,000.00 to provide a Safe Space for women through the meals and shelter vouchers system for homeless women at MES shelters,” Pienaar says.
As show of appreciation and respect for women as pioneers of families in society, MES would like to call on all corporate donors, individual volunteers and staff members (both male and female) to wear doeks on Women’s Day, the 9th of August. Staff members and Friends of MES can pledge their support for this campaign by sending through their minimum 30 seconds videos wishing a happy Women’s Day to our homeless clients. Video clips can be sent to our WhatsApp line on 066 371 5787 or email to engage@mes.org.za. Alternatively, you can contact 011 725 6531 to activate your heart this Women's month.
For financial contributions of any amount, you may deposit your donation to:
MES General
ABSA Bank Account number: 3240140208 - Branch code: 632005 - Swift code: ABSAZAJJ Deposit reference: Name Surname, #WomenRisingAbove
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