More than 100 women attended the Women’s Month event which was hosted by Jump Youth Mission (JYM) event at the Zenzeleni Primary School recently.
As part of the programme, the 150 women from various communities were addressed on gender-based violence, domestic violence and other forms of abuse. The women were then spoilt with treats and gifts, as signs of appreciation.
The co-founder of JYM, Valerie Pillay, said the programme was held to empower women. She said: “We also wanted to get them to come before our Lord, Jesus Christ, to minster to them and give testimony to show them that God has a plan and purpose for everyone.”
Pillay said the day was filled with fun, laughter, games and competitions. “We wanted to do something a little extra special for these ladies. We had a number of informative guests speaking on various aspects of life including spiritual pastors and female SAPS officers. This made for a well rounded talk on the number of issues facing women.”
“The importance of hosting the event was to empower women and put their faith in the Lord. Ensuring women are aware of their dangers and that nothing is impossible is one of the greatest strengths we can empower women with. However, we didn’t stop there. We also gave the ladies a better insight and understanding on what to do when trapped in an undesired situation such as violence against them, rape and drug abuse,” Pillay said.
She said the glow on the ladies faces was all the reassurance that she needed to prove that the day was a tremendous success. “These women certainly felt valued. Not much emphasis is placed on empowering women and making them feel special, especially in a country such as ours where women are raped and killed almost everyday. Gender-based violence is something that is increasing in our community and we need to educate our women on how to overcome it and take action against perpetrators. I believe a women with knowledge can overcome any obstacle and prayer with God’s word will take them to new ways and heights,” added Pillay.
