“We have been asking for donations and no one responded. We were so shocked when the minister informed us that she is coming to the centre,” said an elated Nozuko Conjwa, facility manager at Nonceba Family Counselling Centre in Khayelitsha.
She was reacting to a donation by Patricia de Lille, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, on Saturday 3 December. She donated secondhand furniture to the centre. The furniture includes a dining room table, two couches, 10 chairs, two coffee tables, a TV stand, two bookcases, a matt, six visiting chairs and curtains.
Nonceba works with women and children who are sexually abused and are affected by domestic violence. The centre provides support through shelter and counselling.
Conjwa said the furniture came at the right time and will make a huge difference to everyone at the centre.
“We are happy with the stuff that we received. The minister came at the right time because other rooms still need to be furnished. We are appealing to other government departments and other organisations to support us. We don’t have funds. We are surviving through donations,” said Conjwa.
Conjwa said they requested assistance from numerous government departments to improve their offering.
“We’ve been struggling for so many years and we believe there will be some changes,” she said, after getting the furniture.
The centre is home to 19 people (nine women and 10 children) even though it is meant to accommodate 21 people. They are mostly referred to the facility by the social workers and police. Others come from shelters.
“We have 25 staff members including management. We are operating the whole week. But we only do intakes between Monday and Thursday. From Friday till Sunday staff members are busy with the administration,” she said.
De Lille described the gesture as part of 16 Days of Activism of No Violence Against Women and Children. However, she stated that she believes women and children need to be protected 365 days a year. She said her department decided to clear its warehouse and donate to non governmental organisations and other community organisations.
De Lille said it was a sin to lock the equipment in a warehouse while other people needed it.
“Nonceba is one of the best organisations. It is a safe space for vulnerable people. We need more places like this in our communities. There is one reason that most women stay in abusive relationships – they have nowhere to go. And this centre is offering a home away from home,” she said.
De Lille called on the community to protect the facility.