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.
Image provided |
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.
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