COUNSELLING
Nisaa has managed to sustain a much needed counselling and shelter service in communities who desperately need it.
Nisaa is able to provide counselling through three mediums face-to-face being the most prominent, but telephonic and e-mail counselling services are also used. We thus reach a wider spectrum of people.
We are able to provide these services to women and their children free of charge.
Some of the additional assistance offered to clients are highlighted below:
Legal aid whereby Nisaa can refer clients for legal assistance in custody battles, divorce, etc;
The application of protection and maintenance orders - as Nisaa is familiar with the process of application counsellors are able to inform clients about the expectations of the court on her, refer clients to the relevant people who will be able to assist, and prepare them with negotiation skills, inform them on the services they should expect from the system;
Obtaining Identity Documents and birth certificates from the Department of Home Affairs, most especially when certain requests by the Department cannot be met (for instance proof of place of birth);
Nisaa works closely with the Department of Social Development in the application of grants for our clients;
Nisaa advocates to the Department of Housing for our clients to be first priority for getting a house or temporary accommodation.
SHELTERING
Nisaa's shelter is a crisis shelter that provides accommodation to abused women and their children for 4-6 weeks. We are mandated to accommodate women with their children, (girls of all ages and boys not over 12 years old) and can accommodate 22 women and their children at any given point in time.
Our shelter clients receive counselling and other support programs including:
Information sessions about HIV and AIDS, and sexual reproductive health issues, and domestic violence.
We advise clients about the option of protection orders and how to go about applying for them.
We advise and support women with ID applications, birth registrations and grant applications.
We provide lifeskills programmes such as parenting, self esteem, crisis intervention, healthy cooking, decision making and making better choices.
We have a support group that is conducted from the shelter.
We also provide skills development programs from the shelter which include sewing, card making and bead-making projects.
The children are also offered support through counselling, educational outings and activities, support with school curriculums and play therapy amongst others.
Nisaa has developed working relationships with a number of stakeholders. For instance should a client require legal advice, Nisaa has working relationships a number of legal advice orgnaisations and law firms. Thus we are able to make referrals to other helpful organisations who would understand the plight of an abused woman.
TRAINING
Nisaa offers the following trainings at a minimal fee.
Counselling Courses
These courses give participants a good understanding of the dynamics of abuse and the necessary skills to assist survivors of domestic violence and rape.
Basic Counselling Courses
This course offers participants foundation counselling skills with a focus on gender and gender based violence. The course has 12 sessions and runs over 12 weeks with one session per week. To accommodate participant requests, we have adjusted to course to be held over six days with two sessions per day.
Advanced Counselling Course
This course is a continuation of the Basic Counselling Course and introduces participants to a broader sense of counselling including burnout, HIV and AIDS, crisis counselling skills and other techniques. The course has 13 sessions and runs over 14 weeks with one session per week.
Peer Counselling Course
This course targets the youth and trains teenagers to provide basic support to their peers and refers them to appropriate sources should the need arise. The course runs over three days, mostly during school holidays.
Self Esteem
This is an interactive course that targets women, especially survivors of domestic violence. It is designed to allow for focus on the self, one's beliefs about the self and capabilities and also assertiveness skills.
The course is conducted over a period of four weeks with one session per week.
Train the Trainer
Train the Trainer is a training programme that is aimed at capacity building. This training programme is an intense one that is conducted over five consecutive days. The training follows an experiential learning approach.
Advocacy and Lobbying Training
This is five day training. The training is conducted in two parts. The first part consists of a three day workshop where participants are taken through the content of the course, participants are then given the opportunity to design and implement an advocacy campaign and finally participants are taken through a two day follow up workshop where feedback is provided.
Interface between Gender Based Violence and HIV and AIDS Training
This is two day training. The training aims to raise awareness on the interface between Gender Based violence and HIV and AIDS. It targets women and communities at large.
Other trainings
We also conduct trainings on legislations that protect women's and children's rights.
Voluntary services
After completion of Basic and Advance counseling courses participants are required to volunteer 30 hours of their time. On completion of the 30 hours the course is considered to be successfully completed and participants are awarded with a certificate.
School children and members of the community are also encouraged to give of the time.