A total of 134 survivors and their children were residents of these shelters last year.
GRIP, a Lowveld-based full-service organisation assisting survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) at various centres throughout Mpumalanga, is one of thousands of non-profit organisations adversely affected by the aid-funding freeze recently announced by US president Donald Trump.
GRIP received half of its R15 million in annual funding via NACOSA, the Networking HIV and AIDS Community of Southern Africa, which in turn receives funding from PEPFAR USAID, the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief.
Nationally, more than 1 250 local community organisations are at risk as a result of the freeze.
The Mpumalanga Department of Social Development (DSD) has also indicated that the contract between GRIP and the Department will only be finalised mid-April, meaning that the subsidy will be paid out late. The DSD subsidy is crucial to ensure that the GRIP shelters remain open. The salaries of the staff currently working as volunteers in the shelters also depend on the subsidy from DSD.
GRIP currently runs two shelters – the Mbombela Ekhaya Shelter and the Mkhondo Home of Hope.
Tarryn Lokotsch, CEO of GRIP, says the shelter teams have illustrated their commitment to GRIP and their survivors who depend on GRIP services. But even without paying salaries, it will still cost a minimum of R23 000 per month per shelter to keep the doors open.
Other GRIP services are also facing closure. The operations in Sabie will be terminated at the end of March and if funding does not become available, more care rooms at hospitals, courts and police stations will have to be closed down.
To ensure a fully comprehensive service to the community – referred to as the GRIP “circle of care” – GRIP has established care rooms across Mpumalanga for anyone wanting to report a case of gender-based violence. Experienced first responders and qualified social workers are stationed at these care rooms to assist victims.
Since its inception 25 years ago, GRIP has assisted over 50 000 survivors of GBV and people living with HIV/Aids, ranging in age from 6 months to over 80 years old. During 2024 alone, GRIP supported almost 2 000 survivors at its hospital-based care rooms.
All of this could come crashing down if GRIP does not manage to secure funding to fill the enormous gap created by the USAID funding suspension.
GRIP has already had to temporarily lay off some of its staff and many of the remaining staff have accepted pay cuts or are volunteering for GRIP to keep its doors open.
Tarryn says even ordinary people could help to ease the load. One care pack for a rape survivor costs about R120; to place a first responder in a hospital for a day costs approximately R250; and to care for a woman and child in a shelter costs about R1 000 a week. A business could also adopt a shelter as part of CSI for R23 000 a month,” she says.
If you are able to help in any way, please contact Tarryn at ceo@grip.org.za for more information.
To donate, GRIP’s banking details are:
- Bank: Standard Bank
- Name of account: The Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Project
- Current account number: 03-259-255-8
You may also click here to donate to GRIP.
