Parliament walked the talk of making everyday a Mandela Day, when the National Assembly House Chairperson for Committees Mr Cedric Frolick, handed over computers and accessories to three centers for abused women, children and needy girl-children, in Parliament today. The beneficiary centers are Saartjie Baartman that caters for survivors of women and child abuse, St Anne’s Home that cares for and empowers destitute and abused mothers and their children, as well as Ons Plek that provides specialised developmental and therapeutic services to girls who live, work and beg on the streets of Cape Town.
Handing over the information and communication technology (ICT) equipment to representatives of the three safe homes for abused women, children and needy girl-children, Mr Frolick said the handover marks efforts of Parliament, its leadership and its staff to be the legacy of Nelson Mandela, whose centenary is being celebrated by South Africa, by the continent and the whole world, this year. He said in the spirit of humanity and the values espoused by Madiba and Mrs Albertina Sisulu, Parliament had adopted these centre for ongoing support.
He said Parliament could have chosen to dispose of this very useful equipment to its employees or sell to make some gain, but chose to donate it to the centres that take care of some of the most vulnerable segments of the South African society as part of broader efforts to improve the quality of the lives of all South Africans. He praised the three centres for their years of commitment to serve the most vulnerable people in a true spirit of Thuma Mina articulated by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address. “Parliament has to be at the forefront of preparing our society for the onset of the 4th Industrial Revolution so that no one gets left behind.”
Representatives from the centres expressed gratitude to Parliament for its gesture and support through the donation of ten computers with printers and laptops to each one of the safe homes. They pledged to among others, drive the establishment of a computer lab, provide computer skills for in-house and community based women and children, empower women and children to be able to fight gender based violence, while also supporting young women who are pursuing their studies beyond school grades.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Source: Apo-Opa
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