Page 73 - SCAT Rural Voice II - 35 Stories for 35 Years

I SurVIVed dOMeSTIC ABuSe And
now my mission is to help others
Fihla Tshaweni from Project Gardening. Adelaide Advice Office. Nobelu Balangile Administrator and Mr Adoons.
WHEN DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVOR PATRICIA SWARTBOOI DE LANGE jOINED THE ADELAIDE ADVICE OFFICE SHE LEARNT ABOUT HER LEGAL RIGHTS AND NOW HELPS OTHER WOMEN LIKE HER.
I was born in Port elizabeth but our parents brought us to Adelaide to live with our grandparents. I grew up here until my husband proposed to marry me when I was 22 years old. We were married in Fort Beaufort on the 18 december 1982. Those were good times. I still remember my wedding dress and how my husband’s family welcomed me. From my marriage I am blessed with three daughters.
While married, I worked at a furniture shop as a credit manager. unfortunately as the years went on my husband developed an alcohol addiction. I did not tell anybody because I thought he would change. I suffered in silence. Later he started to hit me and kick me. He insulted me and demanded that I give him food or money in front of my children. eventually after 15 years of marriage, I tried to speak to a church priest and my employer. I took my husband to social development and he was sent to a rehabilitation clinic. When he came back he continued to be abusive. I could not take it any longer.
In September 2005, I was retrenched. A year later after being insulted in town by my drunk husband, I decided to not go home, but to phone a lawyer for a divorce. I said to myself : “I am still young and will go and seek for work. This is not my end of life.” One of my children was affected negatively by this abuse.
At that time, I did not know my rights. I heard about a nGO which had a vacant post. This was when I joined the Adelaide Advice Office as an admin clerk. It was here that I learnt about my legal rights as a woman. Working here made me try to educate other women and communities that everyone has a right to dignity. Currently we are doing door to door awareness campaigns in the community. We also have women indaba campaigns, help people with consumer cases, domestic violence, farm workers’ rights, labour matters and child protection. Although I was abused I now feel strong and equipped with information ready to stand for our community as a human rights activist.
pAtriciA swArtbooi de lAnGe
RuRal Voice ii: 35 stories for 35 years
71
Gender