Know your NGO: Asithokoze promotes women and children’s rights
Local organisation aims to promote independence in women.
Asithokoze, a women and children’s outreach group, works to promote children’s rights and gender equality.
It works closely with young people, youth and communities to address the root causes of discrimination against girls, vulnerability and exclusion, as well as to allow them to react to and prepare for adversity.
To promote rights and gender equality, the organisation confronts and opposes human right abuse and discrimination based on gender, as well as stereotyping and unequal power relations between women, men, boys and children.
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Chairperson of the organisation Sibongile Ndlovu said Asithokoze stands behind women who are marginalised, assisting young girls and women in finding their voice.
“Domestic abuse and unequal rights affect women in many developed countries. Women are sometimes treated as second-class citizens in comparison to their male counterparts.
“Women are required to submit to their husbands and run the household, while men carry food to the table and provide financial help. While many women have been greatly empowered, many more remain silent, prompting organisations to recognise the need to address this problem,” said Ndlovu.
“For the past six years, we have partnered with one of the colleges in Kempton Park to assist young girls doing matric in our community in being part of an IT learnership programme.
“During the pandemic, we faced a lot of challenges. People needed more help and we have limited resources. Most people are living in extreme poverty and we couldn’t assist everyone. The college was, however, not able to take any learners for the learnership this year.”
The organisation depends on donations to assist young girls and women.
To meet the needs of the poor, donations for food packages or comfort packs, which include soap, a facecloth, sanitary pads, socks and other essentials are needed.
“We appeal also to those with learnership programmes to consider granting opportunities to our young girls with ground-level professional qualification or post qualification work experience,” said Ndlovu.
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