ObjectivesWe identfied five focus areas where we will try to make a difference. The alarming rate of HIV infections has been in the headlines for years. The problem is so huge that the initial reaction might just be to walk the other way. Where do you start? We believe that the prevention of violence (leading to rape) is one very important area to start with. How can a boys' perception of rape be changed? How can girls protect themselves? We are looking to support the local experts and organisations doing outstanding work already. Besides rape prevention we added 3 more areas of focus that can potentially all impact the South African society as a whole. Support UsShocking numbersSouth Africa has been facing many struggles over the last decades. The country has the highest HIV rate in the world - a good part of that is caused by rape being a widespread phenomenon. 50,000 rape incidents are reported every year. The real number is believed to be 10 times as high: 500,000 incidents of rape per year. HIV has led to a huge number of children in South Africa to lose their parents. The estimates are ranging from 1.2 - 1.4 million orphans in South Africa (currently still increasing). |
Promoting gender qualityWe teach, support and encourage boys to become compassionate and responsible men. Through mentoring in the community, we foster positive qualities such as integrity, change, respect, passion and leadership in young men. rape prevention & female empowermentThrough supporting programs in the community, we offer girls an opportunity to learn the skills and tools necessary to improve their lives. As their self-confidence grows, they learn to make better choices and be less vulnerable to aggressive relationships, as well as drugs and alcohol. Post-rape careRape effects our society in many different ways. The victims are facing long lasting effects that prevent them from growing into the human beings they potentially could be. It is our objective to support existing programs financially and with professional training. Orphan support programHow do you deal with 1.2 - 1.4 million orphans? Hollywood celebrities won't solve that problem by adopting them. We envision a program that unites the orphans and makes them feel that they are part of huge group. These children could become a massive force in the (re)building of the nation if our vision for them becomes reality. They won't just need education but their emotional needs have to be adressed in unique ways. Providing Access to financial independenceWe will reach out to organizations (incl. micro lenders) that work on providing some steps towards financial independence = the right to say "no". Studies have shown that greater average female income is negatively associated with the rate of rape. We are looking to utilize the business development know-how of our exisiting network. We will work on providing support to Internet companies (incl. start ups) so they can provide training and employment to the underprivileged. It is simply a business sector that we understand fairly well. Many barriers exist in trading with physical goods. Exporting services and generating wealth this way is one way to bypass these hurdles. |
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