Being a member of the Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust team was a wonderful experience. As one of the most important NGOs in Cape Town working with survivors of sexual assault, Rape Crisis was the perfect partner to learn from. Rape Crisis offered both the hectic atmosphere that NGO workers tackle daily and brilliant connections to the specialised sexual offences courts and Thuthuzela emergency medical centres. This allowed us to understand the different levels of a survivor’s recovery journey. The aim of the project placement was to monitor and evaluate the services provided by Rape Crisis, from both the perspectives of the survivors and the staff members. From our interviews and analyses of other administrative data we created a report for both the partner and the University.
Another important part of the project placement was actually living in Cape Town. This allowed us to apply theories to real life in a unique way. Being able to cement my knowledge and feelings towards human rights in Cape Town was perfect; Cape Town has such a rich yet devastating human rights history, which continues to impact its population today. This became clear to us as we toured through the different areas of Cape Town, from extremely affluent areas and poor Townships such as Langa to the infamous Robben Island the home of the apartheid’s political prisoners.
Beyond the project
Besides the city itself, sharing a couple of weeks with my coursemates and supervisors helped cement our teamwork and relationships. We transformed from strangers to confidants and friends which is invaluable.
The experiences I had in Cape Town have changed my life by grounding me and maturing my perspective. I consider myself very lucky to have been able to become a part of such an important journey and I can confidently say that the placement has set me up for a wonderful future in human rights. Thank you CAHR.
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