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UWC find some inspiration
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- Created on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 13:26
Earlier this month the FNB UWC rugby team traveled to Athlone to visit the Saartjie Baartman Centre for abused women and children.
On arrival UWC were welcomed by the friendly and passionate Shaheema McLeod, who is the centre manager who then took UWC on a tour.
The Saartjie Baartman Centre is a place where both women and children can seek refuge from abuse whether it is physical, emotional, financial or mental abuse.
The centre believes in helping these victims of violence practice their human rights.
The centre helps women who find themselves in life threatening situations by helping to house these women immediately by removing them from their current circumstances.
It provides services to women; namely residential programmes, empowerment programmes, legal advice and training, partnership development, job-skills training, catering projects, research, begin shelter and facilities for hire.
Surprisingly the centre also has a private school on its premised which has over 150 pupils and is continuously growing. These pupils come from both abusive circumstances and those who have been expelled from main-stream schooling.
The visit to the centre made many of the UWC rugby players realize; Firstly, that there is a great need at the centre - that of physical resource and physical interaction with women and children.
Secondly, how important positive role-models are and how important it is that men play positive roles in our communities and especially for women and children at these kinds’ of centers.
The heartwarming experience inspired UWC and the efforts of those running the centre were evident and definitely evoked an attitude of volunteerism within many of the players from UWC.
UWC is definitely looking forward to their next visit to the centre and already have plans for improving the gardens at the centre.
UWC realise the importance of building relationships with their communities, giving back to communities and supporting the FNB Varsity Shield anti-violence campaign through their motto of "keep the agro on the field".
