Interview with TVEP, Fiona Nicholson, Organizational Director and Prince Nare, Logistics Assistant

In 1997, the Thohoyandou Community Policing Forum together with the SAPS initiated the establishment of a Victim Empowerment Committee (VEC) in accordance with the provisions of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. With seed funding from the Department of Health, the South African Police and local business, the first 24/7 One Stop Trauma Centre was opened at our regional hospital in September 2001, and “break the silence” campaigns were initiated. The committee was registered as the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Trust in January 2002, with provision for a range of stakeholders to be co-opted as Trustees. When asked if they consider themselves a feminist organisation, Fiona Nicholson, Organizational Director and Prince Nare, Logistics Assistant responds with a resounding yes. According to them a feminist organisation is any organisation that puts girls and women’s interests, experiences and issues at the centre of all its work by challenging patriarchy, traditional authority and practices that undermine the dignity and rights of women. As far as they are concerned their work’s central thrust is directed at responding to the problems stemming directly and indirectly from patriarchy and masculinity. TVEP’s core focus was originally the eradication of gender-based violence and child abuse, and so for some years their involvement in HIV and AIDS related issues was limited to the provision of post-exposure prophylactics (PEP) to rape survivors. Subsequently, and in response to community requests for broader services, TVEP’s HIV and AIDS activities were expanded to include basic information on HIV and AIDS, prevention, de-stigmatization and improving access to ART. This is being achieved through the Prevention, Support & Empowerment Services Cluster that is responsible for all of TVEP’s HIV and AIDS activities and interventions, thus ensuring quality whilst enabling TVEP to effectively respond to broad based community needs as they arise. The Cluster is also responsible for the psycho-social care of all TVEP personnel as well as clients, through the provision of debriefing and counseling services. TVEP’s works is focused on generating an attitude zero tolerance towards sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and HIV and AIDS related stigma in the Thulamela Municipality. They provide a combination of these services. These services include; supportive services e.g trauma centers. We also provide empowerment cervices which include community campaigns and workshops. TVEP works mainly in Limpopo’s Thulamela Municipality. However, our Female Condom Advocacy work is national. Women and girls in South Africa are faced with many challenges, however, all these challenges stem from patriarchy, a lack of education and gender inequality. Studies have revealed that educated women are at a lesser risk of poverty, domestic violence, sexual assault, and HIV infection. They are better positioned to demand access to their rights and healthcare. It is also important to highlight that education alone is not enough, it has to be followed up with lasting change in the social and cultural arena. To combat these challenges, TVEP has adopted a “Zero Tolerance Village Alliance (ZTVA) which is their flagship intervention and is aimed at effecting behavioural change by providing women and girls information on their rights, and a safe space and the community support needed to enable them to exercise those rights. Some of the challenges that TVEP faces are a shortage of competent and talented staff resulting from limited funding, and the unwillingness of suitably capacitated people to work in this area. A weak and unreliable civil society that is unable to challenge authority or hold stakeholders accountable to their delivery mandates at district level. A cross cutting lack of civic activism among communities aggravates the above mentioned challenges. As a gender activist organisation, among their successes, TVEP has managed over the years to put Female Condoms on the national agenda. It is because of their advocacy that the Human Rights commission in 2008 declared that the inequities in the procurement and distribution of male and female condoms were a Human Rights violation. Further, TVEP has facilitate the formation of the Vhembe Civil Society network (VCSN) TO harness potential of shared experiences, resources and collective lobbying and advocacy among NGOs in the Vhembe District. According to Nicholson and Nare TVEP coordinates the running of 2 Trauma centres, 1 in Tshilidzini Provincial hospital and the other in Donald Fraser District Hospital which are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The trauma centres provide a one stop service centre for victims of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Some of the services o Provision of Pre- and post-test counselling (including extended counselling for HIV+ rape survivors and their families) o Provision of nutritional food supplements for the 28 days of the regimen o Provision of subsidised transport to enable survivors to return for counselling and re-testing o Home visits to encourage adherence and returns for re-testing o Support groups for survivors of rape/sexual assault o Distribution of rape survivor’s manuals in local languages Nicholson says a public personality that is supportive of their work is Colbert Mukhwevho who is a reggae artist based in Thohoyandou, Mr Mukhwevho has a huge following fan base in the area they work in, regionally and even beyond. He supported TVEP’s work through recording a track that promotes the organisation’s mission. Nicholson also mentions that due their rural location they normally remain invisible and missed by the spot light radar. Nicholson and Nare also point out that TVEP has been affected by the world wide recession as funding opportunities have significantly dwindled. In response TVEP has developed an advocacy strategy that will result in the organisation relying more on the government of South Africa for the funding of essential services. This will ensure that TVEP remains sustainable. They both say for many years, TVEP has had challenges of single-handedly confronting the stakeholders for malpractices and this has often yielded limited and very acrimonious results. The potential effectiveness of TVEP's advocacy has been increased by the formation of civil society network at district level. We have learnt that a collective voice is more effective, even at local grassroots level says Nicholson.