https://doxayouthprograms.co.za/

Doxa Family Care, 29 Tuswa Street, Zwide, Port Elizabeth (2026)

18/09/2026

A NATIONAL DISASTER MUST LOOK LIKE A NATIONAL DISASTER

As South Africa once again confronts devastating cases of gender-based violence and femicide, I believe we must also have an honest conversation about government accountability. In November 2025, Gender-Based Violence and Femicide was officially classified as a national disaster under South Africa’s Disaster Management Act. Those words should mean something.

A national disaster classification recognises that the problem has reached a scale that requires a coordinated national response. It places responsibility on the National Executive to coordinate and manage the response and requires organs of state to strengthen their interventions and report on progress. President Cyril Ramaphosa himself said the classification should help accelerate resource allocation, strengthen shelters and safe spaces, expand psychosocial support and prevention programmes, and improve the response of law enforcement and the justice system.

Yet months later, Parliament itself raised concerns about the absence of dedicated additional funding for the disaster response and called for clarity on how the response would be financed. That is where my concern lies. You cannot classify something as a national disaster and then respond to it with business as usual.

If GBVF is a national disaster, then the response must carry the urgency of a national disaster: resources must follow; frontline organisations must be adequately supported; shelters must have capacity; prevention programmes must reach communities; police and courts must respond effectively; and government departments must be held accountable for measurable outcomes.

The numbers remind us why urgency matters. Government recently reported that 50,511 GBVF cases were registered by SAPS in just three months, from April to June 2026. These are not simply statistics. Behind every number is a woman, a child, a family and a community whose life has been changed.

Government cannot prevent every individual act of violence, and ending GBVF requires responsibility from families, communities, civil society, faith communities, men and boys, business and every citizen. But government carries a particular constitutional and institutional responsibility to protect people, adequately resource the systems meant to respond, and ensure that policies translate into action. We have strategies. We have legislation.
We have institutions. We have now even classified GBVF as a national disaster.

The question is whether the urgency, resources and implementation on the ground match the seriousness of that classification. A national disaster cannot merely be a description of our pain. It must become a mandate for action.

Thembani Gqiba
Executive Director: Doxa Family Care
Chairperson: Nelson Mandela Metro GBVF Forum

17/09/2026

FROM SKILLS TO SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS | DAY 2

Today marks the second training session for the 15 women participating in our Home Baking Business Livelihood Programme.

The journey continues today with an exciting on-site practical training session at Chipkins, where the women are gaining hands-on exposure to baking, production processes, and the practical skills needed to operate their own home-based baking businesses.

This life-changing initiative is made possible through the valued support of Foundation for Human Rights and Chipkins. whose partnership is helping create meaningful economic opportunities for women and their families.

For Doxa Family Care, this programme is about much more than teaching someone how to bake. It is about turning a skill into an income, an income into greater independence, and greater independence into hope for a family.

Our goal is that each participant leaves this programme equipped not only with baking skills, but with the confidence and basic business knowledge to start small, find customers, manage costs, price products correctly, and gradually grow a sustainable home enterprise.

This is what livelihood empowerment looks like: creating opportunities for women to rebuild, generate their own income, and take meaningful steps towards economic independence.

We are proud of the commitment these 15 women continue to demonstrate.

Today they are learning. Tomorrow they will be producing. Soon, we hope to see 15 thriving home-based baking businesses taking shape in our communities. 🧁🥖

Doxa Family Care, in partnership with Foundation for Human Rights, Building Stronger Families. Creating Sustainable Futures.

14/09/2026

🌟 14 DAYS OF HOPE | DAY 14 🌟

HOPE DOES NOT END TODAY

As we reach the final day of our 14 Days of Hope Campaign, Thandisizwe Dingaan, Doxa Family Care’s Football Coach, reminds us that the end of a campaign must never mean the end of our commitment.

For 14 days, we have taken hope, information and support into communities across Nelson Mandela Bay. We have encouraged survivors, challenged harmful behaviour and reminded families that safer homes are possible.

The responsibility now belongs to all of us. We must continue believing survivors, raising young people who value respect, confronting abuse and building communities where everyone can live without fear.

To every survivor: your courage, voice and healing matter. You are not alone.

Thank you to our dedicated staff, partners and community members who carried this vision with us.

The campaign ends, but the work continues. Hope must become action, action must become change, and change must create safer communities for everyone.

12/09/2026

🌟 14 DAYS OF HOPE | DAY 12 🌟

You are more than what happened to you.

Today, Siqhamo Bola, Doxa Family Care’s Programs Manager, reminds every survivor that abuse, rejection and painful experiences do not define their identity or determine their future.

Trauma may leave wounds, but beneath those wounds, your dignity remains. Your gifts still matter, your dreams are still valid and your life still carries purpose.

Healing does not mean forgetting or pretending the pain never happened. It means gradually reclaiming your voice, rebuilding your confidence and refusing to allow the past to control your present. Every healthy boundary, safe conversation and courageous step towards support is progress.

Your story did not end where you were wounded. You are still becoming, still rising and still worthy of a life filled with dignity, safety and hope.

11/09/2026

🌟 14 DAYS OF HOPE | DAY 11 🌟

Love should feel safe.

Today, Xolelwa Stuurman, Doxa Family Care’s Family Care Worker, reminds us that healthy love is not built on fear, control or silence. It is built on respect, honest communication, accountability and the freedom for every person to be heard.

As we focus on Marriage Enrichment, we encourage couples to choose healing over repeated hurt and understanding over the need to win. Asking for support does not mean a relationship has failed—it may mean that the couple values their relationship enough to confront what is hurting them.

Apologies must be followed by changed behaviour. Forgiveness must never be used to excuse abuse, and commitment should never require anyone to endure violence.

Love should not make you disappear. Healthy love creates room for safety, dignity, growth and hope.

10/09/2026

🌟 14 DAYS OF HOPE | DAY 10 🌟

You do not have to carry it alone.

Pain often becomes heavier when it is carried in silence. Today, Mahlonono Nqakaza, Doxa Family Care’s Child and Youth Care Worker, reminds every survivor—especially every child and young person—that asking for help is an act of courage, not weakness.

You do not have to tell your whole story at once or make every decision today. Healing can begin with one safe conversation, one trusted person and one careful step towards support.

To families and communities: let us listen without judgement, believe those who speak out and create safe spaces where survivors are protected and treated with dignity.

Your pain will not write the final chapter. You are not alone. Help is available, healing is possible and hope is still alive.

09/09/2026

🌟 14 DAYS OF HOPE | DAY 9 🌟

Fear is not your permanent address.

Fear may have entered your life through abuse, threats or painful experiences—but it does not have the right to determine your future. You deserve to be heard, respected and safe.

Today, Sisipho Selani, Doxa Family Care’s Social Auxiliary Worker, reminds every survivor that courage does not mean the absence of fear. Sometimes courage is simply recognising that something is wrong, telling someone you trust and taking one careful step towards safety.

Your life has value. Your voice matters. Your future still carries promise—and support is available.

Fear may be part of your journey, but it does not get to decide your destination. Hope is calling you forward.

07/09/2026

🌟 ANOTHER IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR DOXA FAMILY CARE! 🌟

15 women. 15 dreams. One powerful journey towards independence.

Today, Doxa Family Care proudly welcomed 15 women to the onboarding session of our new Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Programme, supported by the Foundation for Human Rights.

This marks the beginning of a journey that will equip the participants with practical skills in baking, financial management and starting and managing their own businesses. The programme is designed to move beyond short-term assistance by giving women the knowledge, confidence and tools they need to generate income, pursue entrepreneurship and build more secure futures for themselves and their families.

The onboarding session was conducted by our Executive Director, Thembani Gqiba, who encouraged the women to embrace the opportunity, believe in their potential and approach the journey with courage, discipline and determination.

Throughout the programme, the participants will also receive administrative guidance and support from Doxa Family Care’s Operations Manager, Sisanda Ntsekwa, ensuring that their journey is organised, supported and responsive to their needs.

This is not simply baking training. It is about transforming skills into livelihoods, ideas into businesses and hope into sustainable independence.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the Foundation for Human Rights for supporting this important initiative and investing in the economic empowerment of women.

Today was the onboarding. Tomorrow, the ovens begin to warm, confidence begins to rise and new possibilities begin to take shape.

When a woman is equipped, a family is strengthened and a community is transformed.

07/09/2026

🌟 14 DAYS OF HOPE | SUMMERSTRAND, GQEBERHA 🌟

Sunday brought another cold day to Gqeberha, but the weather could not weaken the commitment of the Doxa Family Care team. Our dedicated staff travelled to Summerstrand to host another pop-up GBV Help Desk as part of the 14 Days of Hope Campaign.

The activation created an accessible space for conversations about gender-based violence, available support services and pathways to safety. Community members were reminded that abuse is never acceptable and that asking for help is an act of courage—not weakness.

GBV is not restricted to a particular neighbourhood, social class, age or background. It can affect anyone, anywhere. This is why our campaign is reaching communities across Nelson Mandela Bay with one consistent message:

It does not matter where you are—support is always available. You are not alone.

We salute our team for braving the cold and continuing to carry hope into every community. Their commitment reminds us that hope does not wait for perfect conditions—it shows up wherever people need compassion, information and support.

Different communities. One message. One mission: bringing hope closer to the people.

07/09/2026

🌟 14 DAYS OF HOPE | DOXA FOOTBALL ACADEMY, GQEBERHA 🌟

On Saturday, despite the cold weather in Gqeberha, the Doxa Family Care team showed commitment by joining and supporting the boys of Doxa Football Academy while continuing our 14 Days of Hope Campaign.

The visit provided an opportunity to encourage the young players, celebrate their dedication to football and remind them that sport can play an important role in building discipline, confidence, teamwork and positive leadership. Beyond the football field, the team engaged the young men and members of the surrounding community in meaningful conversations about gender-based violence, healthy relationships and personal responsibility.

The discussions focused on helping young men understand that preventing GBV begins with the choices they make every day. Participants were encouraged to reject violence, intimidation, harassment and controlling behaviour, while promoting respect, consent, accountability and open communication in their relationships. The young men were also reminded that strength is not demonstrated through aggression, but through self-control, empathy, courage and the willingness to stand against abuse.

The engagement also addressed sexual health among boys and young men. The conversation highlighted the importance of making informed and responsible decisions, understanding consent, protecting oneself and others from sexually transmitted infections, and seeking accurate health information from trusted healthcare professionals. Participants were encouraged to take responsibility for their sexual health by accessing testing, treatment, counselling and other available services when needed.

The team emphasised that young men have an important role to play in creating safer homes, schools, sports environments and communities. They can contribute by speaking out against harmful behaviour, supporting survivors, challenging harmful gender stereotypes and encouraging their peers to treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Supporting Doxa Football Academy was more than a sporting visit. It was an opportunity to connect with young people in a space where they feel motivated, valued and inspired. Sport creates a powerful platform for positive conversations because it brings people together, builds trust and opens the door to discussions that can influence attitudes and behaviour.

We extend our appreciation to the boys and coaches of Doxa Football Academy, the community members who participated in the engagement and everyone who braved the cold weather to support this important initiative.

Hope becomes meaningful when young people are equipped with knowledge, guided by positive values and empowered to become champions for respect, safety and change.

Doxa Family Care

18/09/2026

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