“Nonceba gives women and their children a chance to escape violence and abuse. It gives them a new beginning.”
Twenty-five-year-old Shumiya, mother of two, describes the brave path she took to overcome trauma.
I am here because I was brutally abused by the father of my children. He hurt me financially, physically, and emotionally. He would push me and our young boy out of the house at night when he was on drugs, and we had nowhere to go. I don’t know how, but we managed to survive and then he let us back in. But the agony didn’t stop. He tried to set my bed on fire with my son sleeping in it. When my daughter was two weeks old, he stabbed me in the eye whilst I was breast feeding. It was a living hell.
My mother had passed away and I had no one to support me. I was desperate to leave and find safety. Eventually, I plucked up my courage and asked the social department to help me. They brought me to Nonceba.
I am now surrounded by women who I love spending time with. They advise me and help me think about what to do with my life. They teach me how to plan. I feel safe for the first time after the abuse I experienced at the hands of the father of my children.
We have group sessions with a social worker who encourages us to talk about what we have been through and how to understand our trauma. I love being able to spend time with my children who live here with me. It is a wonderful and safe place to stay, and I am thankful for the support and all the help they give me.
I have learnt that if a man lifts his hands once to you, he will do it again, over and over, and you must leave. I will never put up with it again thanks to Nonceba.
The Circle is proud to work in partnership with the Nonceba Family Counselling Centre in South Africa. Nonceba is a vital lifeline for women in crisis. It provides sanctuary and support for women fleeing the horror of abuse, violence, and homelessness. Women, often with young children, are given a safe place to live with access to counselling, skills, and the unique support of female friendship.
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