Walking the Walk with Lawyers Against Abuse

Although I very recently lampooned a fictional stereotypical expat called Charity Charity who is hopelessly devoted to helping all the causes, in reality I have a great deal of respect for the expats who go out and make a genuine difference to their host country.

Expat Leslie Randolph is someone who has done just that. She is making an admirable contribution to South Africa through her involvement with Lawyers against Abuse. Leslie is a fabulous individual, warm and kind and great fun to be around. Here she shares her story and her passion for the cause she has been fighting for:

Giving Back to our Host Country

“I think many expats share an overwhelming desire to give back to their host country. I know I did upon arriving in Johannesburg nearly three years ago. I believe we have a responsibility to give back to the country that is hosting us and, if possible, to leave it better than how we found it. In Johannesburg, the opportunity to give back is easy because the need is so incredibly overwhelming. The challenge is to figure out where to give your time and talents and how to maximise your impact in the short amount of time you have in this home away from home.

Box Checking

Upon arriving I dove into it! I was cleaning out my closets weekly, giving away toys my kids may (or may not) have been tired of playing with and donating them to any cause that tugged at my heartstrings. And let’s be honest, they all did. I quickly signed up to volunteer at a local preschool in the township of Kya Sands and began doing puzzles weekly with the children. On paper, I was an expat rock star, but in reality I was failing the children I was supposed to be helping and myself. Volunteering eventually became a box to check weekly versus a passion, and while I was physically with the kids each week I wasn’t emotionally present. While some volunteers are completely altruistic, I am not. I wanted to find a cause and project that impacted me as much as I impacted it.

Finding a Cause I was Passionate About

I finished out the year at my preschool, and as the kids graduated, so did I. I told myself to take my time to find a cause that I was truly passionate about so that volunteering wouldn’t feel like an obligation, but a privilege. Shortly thereafter I was introduced to Lawyers against Abuse (LvA), a non-profit organisation that provides free legal services and trauma counselling to victims of gender-based violence (GBV).

Gender Based Violence in South Africa

If you’ve lived in South Africa for any amount of time, you know that GBV is endemic, but you might not fully comprehend the magnitude of this crisis.

Outside of a war zone, South Africa has the highest rates of violence against women in the world.

It is estimated that in South Africa, one woman is raped every 26 seconds.

This is something that I wanted to direct my energies to and then I discovered Lawyers Against Abuse.

Lawyers Against Abuse (LvA)

In Diepsloot, the informal settlement North of Johannesburg where LvA is based, prevalence rates of GBV are doubled.

Despite these horrifying realities, LvA is the only organisation of its kind in Diepsloot. While many organisations are engaging in high-level advocacy, impact litigation, or prevention work, few provide direct services to victims. And none of them are in Diepsloot, where the need is arguably greatest.

I didn’t know any of this before starting with LvA, and after learning of the reality, I knew I wanted to be part of their team. What impresses me about the people at LvA is that they are doing the real dirty work. They are in the trenches daily, supporting victims – whether it’s helping them fill out a protection order against their abuser, accompanying them to court as they testify or leading them through therapy so they can begin to heal from the trauma they’ve endured.

While other organisations are talking about the problem, the LvA team are fixing it. They are working directly with the police and courts to make sure those in power are held accountable. They are in the community daily, educating people about their rights and advocating for remedies to GBV. They are inspiring women to speak out against their abusers and to fight for justice. In short, they are lifelines to this vulnerable population and I am honoured to be a part of it.

Though I am not a lawyer or a therapist, I found a way to support the organisation and the women it serves with the talents I have. In my past life, I was the vice president of a PR and marketing firm that serviced a bevvy of clients and trades, but my passion was always the non-profit clients. For non-profits, like LvA, the struggle is always funding, but if no one knows about the organisation then no one will support it. By sharing LvA’s story and mission, I am helping raise the necessary funds for them to continue the critical work they do in the community.

Leslie Randolph — Leslie raising funds for LvA at ‘Walk the Talk’ 2017

It’s been over six months since I started at LvA and it never feels like I’m checking a box. In fact, I lie in bed at night and wonder how I can do more for the organisation. Even though I don’t get a paycheque, I feel immense pride in the work I do and it is incredibly rewarding. Working for LvA has been one of the most humbling and inspiring parts of my expat experience.”

LvA really is a stunning and desperately needed initiative and I’m fascinated to understand a little more about the work that they do. As the mother of a young girl, GBV is such an emotive subject and I applaud Leslie for diving in at the deep end and playing her part in tackling such a difficult and endemic problem. A heartfelt thanks to both Leslie for writing and the team at LvA for facilitating this guest post and for granting their kind permission to use their photographs.

LvA is always looking for volunteers to host events benefitting LvA and help with their biannual Art Auction. Any donations to support the vital services they offer are gratefully accepted. To learn more, visit LvA’s website.

Please also like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

A warm thanks to Leslie for this guest post. All images in this post were kindly provided by Leslie via LvA.