Thousands of South Africans have been afforded the opportunity to learn to break the silence and empower themselves as part of the just ended 16 Days of Activism.
This was through a campaign, Memeza Bazokuzwa, the idea of 300 children who are part of the Afrika Tikkun empowerment programme.
General manager Jean Elphick said there were four branches based in Joburg and one in Cape Town. They catered to 1000 kids aged two to six, 2500 learners and 2000 young adults.
Memeza Bazokuzwa, isiZulu for "speak out and you will be heard", according to Elphick, came about after Afrika Tikkun took part in an extensive research study last year, which included 300 children and 100 adults, including parents, staff and various stakeholders.
The end result was what those would do if they found themselves abused in any manner, and Memeza Bazokuzwa was the remedy.
Elphick said the study revealed that staff across all organisations lacked clarity on what to do if they suspected that a child was a victim and there was also a high tolerance of violence, as bullying was not recognised as an issue.
The findings have also enabled the organisation to develop a child protection policy.
“Since the study was conducted, 200 staff members have been trained and taught how to respond and report abuse," Elphick said.
“The main mandate and mission of the campaign is to support and encourage children to break the silence and report abuse. We also empower them and assure them that our vicinity is safe and they will not be harmed for speaking out,” she added.