DIRK VAN DER MERWE

My name is Dirk van der Merwe; I am currently working with Zehandi Mission NPC. Zehandi is a Missions organization that, for the last six years, has been working in South Africa, Malawi and Zambia. I am currently the project manager for the Empowerment Self Defense Project.

Throughout our work, we have seen a gap that needs to be filled. Women, children, and people with disabilities will be my focus. Because they are soft targets, they have been getting assaulted, raped, and molested. We have seen this is a problem in Africa, especially in the community areas

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In South Africa women, children and people with disabilities are being sexually abused. Through this program, students will be empowered and provided with necessary knowledge and skills for self defense. We have also seen that many children are being bullied at school.

The purpose of our program is to see this abuse stop, and to see women, children, and people with disabilities be respected for who they are.

Statistics show that South Africa is the rape capital of the world.

Some statistics: Every 4 minutes a woman is getting raped in South Africa.

Every 16 minutes a sexual crime is reported to the police.

In the rest of Africa women’s only value is to be a slave and to bare children.

People with disabilities are hidden so that people don’t know there is a disable person in their family. In South Africa people with disabilities can receive grants from the government, but what happens is that they are hidden from the public and family takes the grant.

Children are bullied at school, get abducted, molested and raped. Children are a parent’s most precious present and we have to protect them.

What does this program involve?

A. EMPOWERMENT

This is the most important part. It is developed that the person can understand that she/he has value and that they can say NO and may protect themselves. In the empowerment part the focus is on a person’s value and spiritual well being.

1) Awareness: Awareness game. What is awareness? And how to put it to use.

2) Psychology: Have respect for yourself and others. Look at behavior and how to present yourself.

3) What is personal Space: Explain personal space. That personal space can and may change. You are and must be in complete control of your own personal space.

4) What is Violence: Explain violence, different kinds of violence and how we must control it.

5) Yes/No and Maybe feelings: There are different kinds of feelings and how to handle these feelings and emotions.

6) How to say NO: Teach people that they can and may say no, and how to say no. No stay no but for a perpetrator say no in a certain way and will stay yes. How to make this very clear.

7) Avoidance: That precaution is better than cure.

8) Spiritual Self-defense.

I also want to teach able people from a disabled point of view. DON`T SPEAK FOR US, SPEAK TO US.

The second part of the program will be.

B. SELF-DEFENSE

In the Self-defense part people learn the basic self-defense techniques.

The following will be introduced in the course:

1) Blocks

2) Basic release techniques

3) How to use crutches, walking frames and walking sticks for self-defense

4) How to use a wheelchair for self-defense

5) For adults I teach basic strikes and kicks

My dream is to Empower women, disabled people and children wherever I can and use Self Defense as a tool to do so.

The most important thing what happens through this program is:

People open up and a lot of hurt comes forward and that create the opportunity for healing to take place.

I also help to get the basics right to counter bullies at school.

Most often it is the people with the biggest need for such a program, that can’t afford to pay for it.

I have to keep on doing this program to reach people who need it and can not afford to pay for it. That’s why I need your help to empower the people

What I need:

1) Proper and reliable transport

2) Financial support for travel expenses

3) Equipment

4) And lodging.

All donations will go into Zehandi Mission’s NPC account and please use the Empowerment Self-defense reference number “SDEP”. I hope that you will get involve in this Empowerment Self-defense program and help me to give back the value and power that was taken away from them. This program is for any women, child or disabled person that wants to empower themselves.

Please feel free to contact me if there is any question or if you want to know more. You can also contact Zehandi Mission NPC, their contact details are on the letter that accompanies my letter.

I thank you for reading this and for your support.

Blessings

Dirk van der Merwe

Mobile: +2783 258 0013

Email: yocando.emp@gmail.com

Any financial donations or assistance can be paid into the Mission’s NPC account with the reference: SDEP

Banking Details:

Zehandi Missions NPC

First National Bank

Account Number: 62395474291

Branch Code: 20140

Swift FIRNZAJJ

Reference: SDEP

#disabilities #empowerment #selfdefense