Page 46 - SCAT Rural Voice II - 35 Stories for 35 Years

Access to Justice
BORN TO seRVe AND PROTecT
Sharon America coordinator of the Saron Advice Shirley Adams (paralegal) and Sharon America. Sharon America conducting a meeting with Office (SAD) talking to Colleen Alexander Julies community members.
and paralegal Shirley Adams.
shAron AMericA
SHARON AMERICA’S PERSONAL ExPERIENCE OF ABUSE HAS LED HER TO RUN WORKSHOPS EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS.
I was born in the small town of saron. The town is located between Gouda and Porterville. The town’s name is not visible on any of the road signs that give directions. saron offers little work opportunities.
Many of our husbands leave the village to go into the city to work. On Monday mornings there is lots of singing as they get into the bakkies and trucks. Here and there, someone who overslept is called. The closest train station is in Gouda. Our people need to get up at four o’clock in the morning to take the taxi to the station to catch the train.
Many of the men are builders and carpenters who leave the village on a Monday and return on Friday to take care of their families.
Around saron are various fruit and vegetable farms that provide seasonal work. There is also a canning factory in Tulbagh that provides seasonal work to most of our people. When the season passes, there is unemployment. everyone looks forward to the seasonal work.
I was there when the Advice Office opened its doors in 1998. We have received training from different institutions (including scAT). I am passionate about working with people in the community. My personal experience of abuse has driven me to offer workshops in the community about family violence, child abuse as well as about knowing your rights. The aim of workshops is to protect and encourage women and children to talk about it. We assist by making sure that men who physically or sexually assault their wives or children are prosecuted. Families also approach us to assist with their parents’ estates.
We work closely with the community and handle different matters such as evictions in town and on farms. We also deal with the brutality of police in prison cells, social problems and unfair dismissals.
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RuRal Voice ii: 35 stories for 35 years