Rape survivor starts a foundation to fight GBV

 By: Surprise Golela

@Surprise_Golela

surprisegolela98@gmail.com

Lorraine Khoza (23) is a young lady from Malelane in Mpumalanga. She is the founder and chairperson of the Lorraine Khoza foundation, which is an NGO registered with the department of social development. She completed her matric in 2014 at Suikerland Secondary School. After her matric, she moved to Gauteng to further her studies at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) where she was enrolled for a National Diploma in Internal Auditing in 2015. It was in that same year when her life took a turn for the worst.

Khoza was just 17 years old and new at varsity in 2015 when she was raped by a stranger while she was looking for accommodation. “Exactly a month into university, still fresh from high school, I was raped by a stranger whilst I was looking for accommodation in Ga-Rankuwa,” said Khoza. She says she was beaten and kicked like a dog. “If it was not for my aunt who called the police from home, I would be dead by now,” said Khoza.

She says with all that happened and struggling to cope, she even thought of dropping out of varsity. “I was at the verge of dropping out because I could not cope at school,” said Khoza. Khoza says she even wanted to commit suicide. “I almost committed suicide, my accounting HOD even suggested that I go home and start school in the second semester,” she said. Khoza says this whole thing did not affect only her but also those around her, especially her mother who even suggested that she must take a transfer to TUT Mbombela campus as it is closer to home.

 Despite all that Khoza went through she decided to rise above it all. She says although it was not an easy journey, she had to be strong for herself and her mother. Khoza says she was living in fear that she might bump into the guy that raped her, but she decided to just continue with her studies.

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Today Khoza is a proud holder of a national diploma in internal auditing which she completed in record time. “The qualification that I am holding is for all women who are on the verge of giving up, for all those who are violated but afraid of speaking out,” said Khoza.

In 2018 Khoza decided to start a foundation called the Lorraine Khoza. The foundation was started after she had been sexually violated and realised that a lot of people need support when going through such difficulties in life. Her foundation is registered with the department of social development. The main aim of the foundation is to take a stand against gender-based violence and femicides which are on the surge in the country. Khoza says through her foundation they want to reach out to people by addressing the core issues that contribute to GBV. She says through her partnership with the department of social development they can place those who are victims of GBV into shelters across the country.

 https://soundcloud.com/surprisegolela/lorraine-khoza-foundation-fights-gbv

Today the organisation has helped many women and children of our country and still continues to do that.

Early this year the president of our country President Cyril Ramaphosa has honoured Lorraine Khoza for her work on GBV. She says she had not expected the honour, especially from the president. “The foundation is still new, and I never thought that the impact we are having in societies would even reach the president,” said Khoza.

As if being honoured by the president was not enough, Khoza was also nominated as part of the Mail and Guardian 200 young South Africans under the category of civil society. The nomination aims at honouring young South Africans who are making an impact in their field of work.

Khoza says people need to speak about the challenges they face and seek help.