For women battling substance and alcohol abuse, finding a safe place to recover can be as difficult as taking the first step towards rehabilitation.

That need prompted Nadine Gibbs (48) to establish Elizabeth’s Walk, a haven in Fleurhof where women can begin rebuilding their lives away from the environments that contributed to their struggles.

Gibbs, who was born and raised in Westbury, spent 11 years involved in a women’s ministry, where she worked with other safe havens to help women leave drug houses, prostitution, trafficking and other dangerous situations.

But as more women needed assistance, the existing facilities became increasingly overcrowded.

“The safe havens in which we placed the girls became full and clustered,” she said. “The need was big, and seeing this encouraged me to open my own place.”

Elizabeth’s Walk now provides women with a safe space to confront the challenges they face, whether they are battling addiction themselves or dealing with substance or alcohol abuse within their families.

Gibbs said one of the factors behind the organisation was the difficulty women often face in accessing recovery support without first making painful choices about their homes and families.

“Another issue that encouraged me to start the haven was that women do not immediately get the help they need when it comes to recovery,” she said.

She said women can feel forced to choose between leaving their homes, children and familiar surroundings and remaining in environments that may be harmful to them.

“They have to think about leaving their home, children and their overall dignity because society judges.”

Rebuilding dignity

Elizabeth’s Walk’s six-month programme combines practical support with rehabilitation. Women meet with professionals, work in the garden, participate in arts and crafts and attend Bible sessions.

For Gibbs, the aim is not only to help women overcome substance abuse, but also to restore their sense of dignity and show them that they have a future beyond addiction.

Her work extends to young girls in the community through sanitary pad drives, with the aim of keeping them off the streets and helping them recognise their potential.

Gibbs’ own experiences with violence and addiction have also shaped her commitment to the work. She said she was “reckless” and involved in alcohol and gangsterism for many years before losing two partners to violent crime.

Those experiences eventually led her to the women’s ministry, where she found a new purpose in helping others.

Today, Elizabeth’s Walk is continuing that work by providing women with a place to step away from harmful circumstances and begin the process of rebuilding their lives.

Elizabeth’s Walk is located at 26 Chute Street in Fleurhof.