The South African Faith and Family Institute

Throughout my semester in Cape Town, I have been volunteering 2 full days per week at the South African Faith and Family Institute (SAFFI). Founded in 2010, SAFFI works to link diverse sectors of society in an effort to devise collaborative solutions to help eliminate gender-based violence. Studies have shown that although South African women live in one of the most religious societies in the world, they also live in one of the most dangerous societies as well. This can be attributed to the rigid traditional patriarchal system that is often implemented throughout South African Townships.

In addition to being assigned the unfortunate title of ‘rape capital of the world,’ South Africa is facing increasing incidents of hate crimes, domestic abuse, and sexual assaults.  In an effort to counteract this phenomenon, SAFFI works to facilitate relationships between Non Governmental Organizations, Governmental Organizations and Religious Leaders to offer victims and those affected by gender-based violence with the most holistic intervention strategy possible.

My roles at SAFFI include co-facilitating discussions and conferences concerning the issue of gender-based violence activism and prevention, conducting research regarding holistic interventions, and composing articles regarding SAFFI’s recent efforts for local newsprint. My most recent project included coordinating a women’s pilgrimage on Robben Island, which offered a day of reflection and conversation inspired by sites of significance on the island.

This has been a unique service experience for me considering in past volunteer experiences, I have only worked directly with clients. In this new setting, I am able to work collaboratively with different organizations, allowing me to see all the different hats a NGO worker has to wear.  From influencing government policy and fundraising efforts to auditing reports and establishing inter-organization partnerships, my time at SAFFI has been both enlightening and slightly overwhelming.

If you are interested in learning more about SAFFI, visit our website at www.saffi.org.za