Sinoville crisis centre gets facelift
The centre provides trauma counselling to victims of crime.
The Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) recently sponsored a new billboard for the Sinoville Crisis Centre (SCC) campus to celebrate its 24th anniversary.
The centre had waited eight years to display a new logo on its on-campus billboard.
Misa sponsored the billboard to give the centre a facelift as part of its annual 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence campaign.
Centre CEO Colleen Strauss said the logo was changed eight years ago to give the centre a more modern look with bright colours.
“Unfortunately it is costly to print a billboard.
“The centre never had the funds to print a billboard because we always have to prioritise our expenditure.”
Misa has been involved with numerous projects of the centre over the past two years and is aware of the dire financial need of the centre, being dependent on donations from the community.
The centre was established as a pilot project to place trained counsellors working side-by-side with police on crime scenes, accidents, or traumatic incidents.
In sexual assault and rape cases, the counsellor escorts the victim to the hospital for a medical examination, and the centre assists with court preparation.
The centre has been involved in numerous high-profile cases including the one of Ina Bonnette, who was tortured and raped by the so-called Modimolle monster – Johan Kotze – and his three accomplices a decade ago. Kotze also murdered Bonnette’s son Conrad.
It faced possible closure earlier this year when donations dried up since the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.
Strauss said the centre survived because the security company agreed to foot its monthly bill of R10 000 for this year.
If you want to give to the centre for Christmas, dial 012 543 9000.
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