Success Stories:

Grace Help Centre is proud of the success stories, as mentioned in our objectives, to enable each woman to re-join society enabled and fully functional. It is not without its challenges to develop a job creation project as many of the women upon entering the centre find themselves so emotionally scarred and believing that they are incapable of achieving success or without their spouses/partners they cannot be financially independent. However, with 20 years’ experience, we feel proud of the lives that we have been able to have a positive impact on.

Where possible we seek to develop the “diamond” in each woman. Once each woman has completed her adequate counselling sessions with Life Line, Rustenburg (who sends a Skills Facilitator for scheduled visits) and we can see that she is ready to take on life again, we will assess where she can be upskilled and mentored, and possibly develop an employment opportunity within Grace Help Centre (GHC). For those we cannot accommodate within GHC, we assist in developing their talents, placing their resumes and sourcing local job opportunities.

Survivor A – was unemployed, a mother of 2 teenage daughters and had suffered horrible abuse at the hands of her husband. She found the courage to leave her abusive partner and joined us. We assessed her talents and she is now a fully functional Home Assistant. Earning an income and reunited with her children.

Survivor B – came to us feeling broken mentally, emotionally and physically. We conducted intensive counselling for her and she could within 3 months, gain employment as a Shop Assistant. She could earn an income, rent her own place and reunite with her daughter.

Survivor C – came to us destroyed mentally and emotionally, traumatised due to family member abuse, with intensive support and counselling she has been able to get her learners' licence, driver’s licence and PDP licence. Now she is an invaluable asset to our centre - so much so that she has raced women in labour to the clinic and helped bring precious little babies to life. She has been so restored that she is now researching how to establish her own transport business.

Survivor D – came in pregnant having escaped from her abusive partner, feeling cheated of opportunity as none of her hopes and dreams for her and her baby were coming to life, as well as secondary abuse at the hands of her family. After one-on-one counselling sessions with a social worker and meetings with the centre Director, she could pursue her dream of making a difference in not only her life but the lives of the less fortunate women as well. With determination, hard work and a whole lot of hope she pursued the Vodacom Change the World 2017 project. The Vodacom project was dependent on a partnership with an NPO and having experienced first-hand the difference Grace Help Centre wants to make in women’s lives, she approached the centre Director for permission apply to be a changemaker.  She was over the moon when she found out that she had been selected and is now on the threshold of life-changing.

At present, Grace Help Centre is scheduled to participate in a two-day roadshow (5-6 December 2017) in partnership with one of their major stakeholders, South African Police Services (SAPS) to bring awareness to the communities about the criminality of gender-based violence (GBV) as well as their services in the Mooinooi, North West. We will be visiting 10 police stations and their communities. GHC will be accompanied by their onsite qualified Social Workers, Local Forum Members of Madibeng District, representatives from Doctors without Borders as well as victims who’ve survived and have testimonies to share with the community members to encourage reporting the perpetrators.

How You Can Make a Difference:

Grace Help Centre is eager to partner with an organisation or private individuals who share the passion to empower women, in order help them to get back on their feet again and rebuild their lives. If you share the passion, we would welcome the following support : 

Help Grace Help Centre by donating building materials for secondary-phase housing units. Grace Help Centre offers a 6-month accommodation period and has identified that this is not ideal for the victims as they tend to go back to the perpetrator based on the fact that they are mainly illiterate. Due to the abuse, they also feel incapable of starting an independent life. We have identified a suitable piece of land on the premises to be developed to establish the secondary-housing units. Our vision of the housing is to provide single room accommodation that will promote the development of their home management and personal development skills.

The secondary-phase housing will only accommodate women who show potential and merit to be developed into a functional contributor for a maximum of two years. The development of each woman requires the involvement of civil society and businesses. Partnerships will be sort with businesses to ensure an integrated approach that will support our efforts to provide an effective service and maximise the impact of our initiatives to develop and empower each woman who qualifies for secondary-phase housing. Should illiteracy be an issue, we will make use of ABET to ensure that each woman is in possession of a matric qualification. Those who show talent in entrepreneurship will be provided with guidance and mentoring in small business development. We wish to partner with financial institutions that can educate each woman on financial management and skills on a personal/business level. We will endeavour to match each woman to a suitable employment opportunity and/or develop their entrepreneurial talent. Upon completion of the programme they will able to rejoin society, are financially enabled and self-sufficient.

Should you wish to make a cash donation to the organisation, our bank details are as follows:

Grace Help Centre
Standard Bank
Savings account
130682861