Kempton woman scoops international award for fighting against GBV
“The government is not doing enough to fight GBV. Imagine how many GBV shelters are closed due to no funding from the government. We need resources to help these victims.”
Consistency in fighting against GBV has given one Kempton Park woman international recognition.
The founder of Tshegofatsa Rona Welfare and Organisation, Cynthia Dinalane’s commitment to the fight against GBV earned her the Women Empowerment Award at the UK Universal Awards held recently in London.
The Kempton Express spoke to Dinalane about her international trip.
“I felt lost at first because I had no one to talk to. I competed against representatives from 32 countries, and they all spoke different languages. Some did not even know English.
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“I felt honoured and happy to be announced the second runner-up from representatives from 32 countries. SA was well represented, so this is a great achievement for me to be recognised worldwide.”
Dinalane learnt about the award nomination last year but did not believe it and thought it was a scam.
“I do not know anyone abroad and asked myself, ‘Why I would be nominated?’ I later found that some women I helped emigrate to Canada were the ones who nominated me,” said Dinalane.
In 2019, Dinalane resigned from the CoE municipality’s environmental department to establish her organisation.
“The Tshegofatso Rona Welfare and Organisation was established in 2019 as an NPC and later was registered with social development as an NPO in 2020.”
“I turned my home into a welfare to cater for children and women who fell victim to GBV around Kempton Park and Thembisa,” said Dinalane.
Dinalane said she also runs a feeding scheme in Kempton Park and Thembisa and would often see women with bruises. She said when she asked them, they told her their husbands beat them, and they had nowhere to go.
Dinalane said she was worried because there was not a place of safety in the area.
“I decided to risk it and opened my home to those affected. I could not wait for the government to provide a safe place while women and children were raped and killed daily.”
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According to Dinalane, the GBV rate increases daily because victims sometimes withdraw their cases.
“People lose hope when they have to open cases, and the perpetrators continue abusing the victim because they know they will get bail and come back.
“These days, prison is a five-star hotel; perpetrators get skills in prison and an education, while our victims do not get any skills. It is as if no one cares about them. It would only be fair if both parties got skills development,” added Dinalane.
“The government is not doing enough to fight GBV. Many shelters for GBV victims have closed due to a lack of funding from the government. We need more resources to help victims.”
This is not the first time Dinalane has won an award for her work. She was previously awarded the best Gauteng humanitarian, GBV ambassador and South African heroes award in the women’s empowerment category, among many others.
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“As women, we must believe in ourselves. It is not easy, but let us continue to do well for our country.”
She thanked everyone who believed in her vision.
“We need the country’s support to ensure we have a bigger place and resources for skills development for GBV victims,” said Dinalane.
