Lyttelton initiative educates domestic staff and gardeners
The CPF in Lyttelton hosted a domestic workers’ forum last month, where workers had the opportunity to raise their safety concerns with the police.
Domestic workers and gardeners were empowered with safety knowledge last month by the police and CPF in Lyttelton.
The event was held to discuss crime trends and promote safety was attended by domestic workers, gardeners, and senior police officials.
According to the Lyttelton CPF chairperson Shawn Fouche, the aim was to create a safe space for domestic workers and gardeners, to raise concerns and access information from the police.
“The goal is to allow them to have a forum to raise concerns about crime and share information, which is important for everyone’s safety,” Fouche said.
“Domestic workers and gardeners face unique challenges, including vulnerability to crime while walking to and from work,” he added.
Fouche explained the forum addressed these concerns and provided a platform for them to share their experiences and ideas on how to improve their safety.
She said having car patrols to increase their safety was one of the things that was discussed.
“Police got an opportunity to give attendees information about the latest crime trends to make sure they remain vigilant,” he said.
She added that social workers were also present at the forum to give information about domestic violence and educate them about their rights.
According to Fouche, the CPF plans to maintain an open channel of communication with domestic workers and gardeners through regular forums and a proposed WhatsApp group.
She explained this would enable them to share information, report concerns, and access resources and support.
Fouche added they also encouraged attendees to share information with their friends.
“Attending events like these ensures that people are aware of the latest crime trends,” said Fouche.
She said the CPF is committed to replicating this event and creating similar initiatives targeting other vulnerable groups.
“Domestic workers often see and hear about incidents we are not aware of, if they feel safe, they will share information which helps us fight crime.”
Fouche added the more informed the domestic workers and gardeners are, the better geared they are to ensure no one tricks them.
“By empowering domestic workers and gardeners, the community can work together to prevent and report crime, creating a safer environment for all,” said Fouche.
Representing domestic workers who attended the forum, Minah Montshiwa said: “Every bit of information that was shared is to our benefit”.
She said there is much to be learned about tactics used by criminals.
“The more we engage with SAPS, the more we will be learning about those tactics.”
Montshiwa said one of the concerns they raised was feeling unsafe walking to and from the bus stop.
She said that would be much better to have police cars patrolling, especially during the weekends.
“It would be a huge help if there was a car patrolling the area on a Sunday evening, for those coming back to work after a weekend,” said Montshiwa.
She said they were also given tips on how to deal with strangers who arrive at the gate or try to enter the property without permission.
They were urged to use whistles to attract attention whenever they felt threatened
“We have learnt information that will not only keep us safe but our employers as well,” she said.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
