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Whenever I chat to Mpho Modise, manager of the
Khayelitsha centre of LifeLine/Childline Western
Cape, I get so inspired by her enthusiasm and
passion for the work of our organisation. She
is so proud of LifeLine, and all that LifeLine
stands for, and she always has a story that bears
testimony to the power of this work.
“There was a case in a community near here, some
months ago. A man raped his own daughter – a 14
year old girl – and it was discovered that he
had been doing so since she was seven years old.
The child and the mother were referred to Simelela,
where a doctor examined the child, she was found
to be badly physically damaged.
“The girl ended up, from the sexual abuse, being
a slow learner and could not keep up at school.
The father was arrested, and the mother was counselled
here at LifeLine in Khayelitsha.
“The father was supporting the family, so the
mother wanted to change her mind about charging
her husband with rape. She didn’t know where she
would get money to support her family if he was
arrested and imprisoned. She was also afraid of
her husband, that he would kill her when he came
back home.
“She didn’t have the knowledge of other resources,
and was worrying so much. I started to work with
her: it was important at first to build a relationship
with her; I felt she needed to be able to trust
me because she was really confused about what
she should do. We referred her daughter to Cape
Mental Health for counselling [at that time, there
wasn’t a Childline social worker in place at the
Khayelitsha centre].
“I managed to convince the mother that even if
her husband was in jail, she needed to focus on
her daughter. It wasn’t only about the money.
We worked together and eventually – after about
three sessions – she was able to change her mind
set to focus on the future of the child.
“Then she was afraid that her husband would kill
her: I explained that she could go to the court
for a protection order. The child was being prepared
for court by Cape Mental Health and their social
worker would speak for her daughter, who was unable
to speak for herself in court.
“I kept informing her about other resources that
were available to her. I often thought that if
that mother hadn’t got counselling from us, what
would happen to her child? The child would feel
hopeless.
“The mother went to court, after which the father
got bail but there was a protection order against
him and he was not allowed to go to that area
where the child stayed.
“The mother benefited so much from the networking
that we do in LifeLine, I realised that it was
through counselling and good networking, especially
in Khayelitsha where we refer to each other and
work together, that together we managed to save
that woman and her daughter from hopelessness
and despair.
“The caring counselling that we provide really
changes people so that they can see – even where
the problem is big – that it is important to shift
their mindset to see hope and to boil down the
problem.
“The mother also battled with stigma from the
community – what would people think of her? We
really did something to save that mother, and
I felt good.
“The mother is still working, the child is happy
and they have support from the community members.”
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