Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
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Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
For 25 years, Women and Men Against Child Abuse has been dedicated to raising awareness about the complexities of child abuse and providing high-quality victim support and therapeutic services to victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse through their Kidz Clinics in Boksburg and Alexandra – all free of charge. The NGO’s mission is to reduce the fear and anxiety associated with abuse and promote healing in a child-friendly environment, while also aiding the criminal justice system in prosecuting offenders.
Thanks to partnerships with corporates like Blue Label Telecoms, Women and Men Against Child Abuse can continue to serve vulnerable communities. The relationship between the NGO and Blue Label dates back to 2007, when Mark and Brett Levy co-sponsored the first Roadshow Against Abuse. This event featured notable performers such as Skwatta Kamp, Mafikizolo, and Zola, who toured the country with the NGO, spreading messages of support and encouragement to stand up against abuse. With the help of these partnerships, Women and Men Against Child Abuse remains committed to their critical work.
Blue Label Telecoms has been a committed sponsor of Women and Men Against Child Abuse, donating over R5 million to support the NGO’s work in providing services to abuse victims and conducting advocacy and awareness campaigns. In addition to monetary donations, Blue Label has provided computer hardware and donated various items such as food, blankets, Easter eggs, and Christmas presents for the NGO child clients.
Blue Label Telecoms also contributed to our attendance at the Europol Police Conference in 2015, which helped strengthen the NGOs relationship with SAPS Cybercrime in fighting online predators. The partnership also allows for the NGO to regularly provide educational talks on gender-based violence and abuse to Blue Label Telecoms staff.
With the support of Blue Label Telecoms, the NGO has achieved many accomplishments. They have provided free therapeutic services to over 15,000 children at our Kidz Clinics and offered counselling to their non-offending family members and caregivers. Their approach to victim care is focused on respect, comfort, restoring dignity, and ensuring justice for children who are victims of sexual violence, physical abuse, and neglect.
The NGO has reached an average of 3,000 children per year through preventative talks at schools and day-care centres, and present awareness presentations to approximately 300 educators per year.
The Women and Men Against Child Abuse’s Youth Development Program workgroups offer counselling to juvenile offenders or children at risk and provide Family Preservation and Parenting Skills workshops for parents in communities who struggle to cope.
The NGO’s clinics are active within communities, providing awareness, mediation, counselling, and occasional feeding and clothing drives.
The Kidz Clinic model has improved the process of reporting and prosecuting rape and other sexual offenses, reducing secondary trauma to survivors as the entire process takes place in a dignified and friendly environment. Children who have received these services have shown improvements emotionally, socially, academically, and in their ability to problem solve. The primary impact is on the emotional welfare of the child, which is in line with the Women and Men Against Child Abuse’s mission to provide victim care that restores dignity, comfort, and well-being.
The funding from Blue Label Telecoms and other sponsors also enables Women and Men Against Child Abuse to run their Advocacy division which focuses on bringing attention to important cases of child abuse through public, judicial, and media channels. The NGO’s aim is to raise awareness about all aspects and issues surrounding child abuse and put pressure on the legal system to move cases involving children through the court system efficiently. This also includes bring attention to other global issues such as child pornography and human trafficking to educate the public and empower possible victims. The Advocacy activities have a national reach, appearing in print, broadcast, and online media.
The NGO has been instrumental in bringing about changes in legislation by facilitating multi-stakeholder workgroups and challenging legal loopholes. For example, survivors of sexual abuse can now lay criminal charges against their alleged abusers, regardless of the time that has passed since the crime was committed. Additionally, the High Court in Johannesburg has declared section 18 of the criminal procedure act unconstitutional, which lifts the 20-year proscription bar on sexual offences.
Women and Men Against Child Abuse activists supported victims and lawyers in court, arranging press conferences, sourcing experts in the field to help with research and testimony, and arranging counselling for some adult survivors.