Sixteen-year-old inspired to help abuse victims
The Greater Rape Intervention Project (GRIP) is still striving to render their much-needed services through the help of donations from the public.
MBOMBELA – The Greater Rape Intervention Project (GRIP) recently received generous donations.
Sixteen-year-old Sameerah Karodia recently made a donation of care packs, and Golden Harvest in White River donated food to the GRIP shelter.
Lowvelder previously reported how GRIP’s funds were allegedly mismanaged by some former members of the management team. The allegations are under investigation, and those implicated have denied any wrongdoing.
Now the new management team needs assistance from the public to enable them to continue providing their services.
Mother and daughter, Leila and Sameerah, said they want to make a difference in the community.
“I feel strongly about gender-based violence,” said Sameerah, a grade 10 pupil at Uplands College.
“The article in Lowvelder regarding GRIP piqued my interest and I thought that I would really like to get involved and assist in any way possible. My school encourages all learners to give back to the community.
“As a 16-year-old South African I have so much empathy and cannot begin to imagine how victims of such brutality must feel,” she said.
She added that she used her savings to buy most of the contributions, but also approached family and friends for donations.
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“I have chosen GRIP as my charity of choice for the next year. I am going to paint the counselling room at Themba Hospital,” she added.
Her mother said that the inspiration came from the father of the nation, Nelson Mandela, who had said that no child should go to school on a hungry tummy.
“With that in mind, Golden Harvest always feels strongly about contributing to the needy and underprivileged. Contributing towards GRIP, that serves women and children who are victims of violence and rape, goes far beyond being needy and underprivileged,” she said.
The founder of GRIP, Barbara Kenyon, said they are happy to receive the donations.
“I am so impressed with Sameerah and that we have this calibre of young person in our town.”
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