Sarah Luke's Weblog

Today I visited Umzimkulu, a rural area just north of Durban in KZN. I went with my supervisor, Themba, and representatives from the CGE, the prosecutor's office, and various NGO's. The representatives held a program for 3 schools to educate pupils about how to prevent and protect themselves against violence and sexual assault perpetrated by teachers.

The program was held in a small auditorium, and the auditorium was packed. 700+ students of all ages attended. Some sat on folding chairs, while others stood the entire time. There was not enough room for everyone inside, so some of the students had to crowd around the building, struggling to hear. The three hour program was conducted entirely in isiZulu. I sat in the front, and spent the majority of the time nudging Themba and asking him what was going on.

The speakers covered all aspects of prevention, reporting, and prosecution. Between presentations, the children sang. The singing was beautiful. The auditorium filled with what sounded like angels. It's hard for me to describe, but it echos in my ears. It gives me chills thinking about it. Their songs were so beautiful.

Following the presentations, caterers distributed lunch and T-shirts to the kids. Themba and I assembled resouce packets for each of the schools, and we chowed a traditional South African meal:)

I really enjoyed visiting Umzimkulu. (Although I would have prefered more interaction with the children). I hope that the presentation was instructive to them and that more children are kept safe because of it.