The Birth of House of Amani

The Birth of House of Amani

Having grown up in a home where domestic violence was rife, by the age of 11, I had decided to myself that I was going to found an organization to assist abused women and children. At that age I did not know how to go about it, but it was a passion that kept growing as I kept witnessing domestic violence around me. By the end of 2020, I knew it was time to act and contribute in making a difference in the world. The statistics of femicide cases and Gender Based Violence cases were escalating so quickly and it was and is still regarded as a pandemic in South Africa. It is shocking and sickening to wake up almost every day to stories of women who would have been brutally murdered. These are not just statistics, these women and girls are not just stories, they are people, they are sisters, aunts, mothers, daughters, friends, these are humans.

Early 2021, a conversation about starting a Non-Profit Organization arose between Mr. Terrence Mhindurwa, the Co-Founder of House of Amani and I, and we instantly had a realization that we shared the same vision. We both were fervent about bringing change in the lives of women who feel hopeless and unseen. Women who are stuck in unhappy marriages but cannot leave due to financial constraints, women who lack of education, women who are unskilled and regarded as unemployable. Women, who because of these circumstances, have found themselves prolonging their stay in abusive homes and marriages, they find themselves in shelters without the know-how or skill to financially sustain themselves and emancipate themselves. House of Amani was then birthed to offer support, awareness and sustainable livelihood to the abused and abuse survivors specifically women and girls.

We both envisioned that it was a necessity to be the change and give hope and peace to women and girls who are experiencing and have experienced Gender Based Violence and Domestic Abuse. As we began to deliberate on who to bring to the team, we approached Mr. Edward Makumbe, Ms. Lihle Xasa and Mrs. Caroline Makumbe and it was evident that House of Amani was an organization bigger than us. The five of us had individually been consumed with a desire to make a difference. Amongst the five of us, we had, in our different journeys, separately taken it upon ourselves to support underprivileged people, volunteer at children’s homes and shelters, held awareness campaigns in our different religious groups and engaged in ministry with sex workers and homeless people.

The birth of Amani may be an initiative of five passionate directors, but we all understand that this is bigger than us. This is a calling, we all share the same sentiments that a life worth lived is a life lived beyond personal gains. House of Amani members strongly believe that "being there for each other is all there is to life."

Written by Ms. Belinda R Matore