Tears encourages youth involvement

Educating the youth about gender-based violence remains important in a time when the scourge continues to grow.

This is according to Tears Foundation intervention specialist Kavya Swaminathan after visiting the IIE’s Varsity College Sandton campus for NPO Day on March 23.

The Tears Foundation, based in Sandton, is a women-led non-profit organisation that provides access to crisis intervention, advocacy, counselling, and prevention education services for those impacted by rape, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse, through various technological portals.

Swaminathan said knowledge was the cornerstone of growth, an idea that the non-profit organisation takes to heart.

“It is through engagement with the youth that Tears is able to spread awareness about, not only the organisation’s own goals and services, but also all the available support systems currently present.

“These services and structures are often not given enough attention in the school environment. Is it through engagement with the youth that information is able to be passed forward?”

According to her, knowledge played a valuable role in the fight against domestic violence and gender-based violence as they were not simple enough that they could be ‘fixed’ or ‘rectified’.

Swaminathan added that having open discussions about these issues was vital in creating awareness.

“The youth will play an important role in the future when it comes to carrying on this information and coming up with new and readily effective ways to combat the impact of gender-based violence and domestic abuse.”

Do you need to speak to someone? Call the Tears Foundation helpline on 010 590 5920 (open 24/7, 365 days nationwide).

ALSO READ: 

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/265498/the-strength-behind-the-tears-foundation/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/261468/tears-foundation-is-still-ready-to-help/