Guarantee Shelters to Victims of Domestic Violence

Since lockdowns first began in April of 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were fearful that domestic abuse victims would have been at additional peril because of the limited number of safe spaces and services provided even during normal times. While we sounded the alarm prior and during calls to stay home regarding the potential increase cases of intimate partner violence no attention was given to the matter by central government, now, those fears are coming to fruition. Reports of domestic violence have spiked in many communities and women and children have no additional resources to access. 

We do not have the necessary capacity as an NGO to house all those who request help, therefore in our daily interventions with victims who still reside in the same dwelling as their abusers we encounter:

• Abusers attempt to further isolate and control victims;
• Abusers frighten victims by promoting fear of contracting COVID-19 if the victims seeks help outside the home;
• State Shelters are full and unable to assist victims most of the time;
• Victims also expressed fear of going into shelters for fear of being exposed to COVID-19;
• Restrictions ennacted due to COVID-19 impacts victim’s escape and safety plan.

We work with victims who we cannot house due to limited capacity by

• Assisting victims to create a safety plan to outline ways to remain safe while they are in the same space as their abuser
• An escapte plan if they have alternative shelter and are planning to leave
• We provide assistance to them if they get alternate shelter by providing food and in some cases utilites and short term rental support;
• We encourage self-care as much as possible, such as meditation, music, etc 
• We maintain constant daily contacts and we encourage social connections through phone calls, texts, emails, and social media platforms as much as is practicable.

The pandemic has limited our ability to arrange fundraising activities and it is practically impossible to acquire additional rented space on our current budgets. More donations will allow us to  do so but we cannot prevail without your help and donations.