SIYAMMUKELA MAHLANGU
TuksRes, Amato Pregnancy Crisis Centre and Bethany Pregnancy Crisis Care Centre (BPCCC) have paired up in a campaign to raise awareness for unplanned pregnancies. Both centres provide services such as free pregnancy tests and post-abortion trauma counselling. The campaign aims to raise funds for both centres in order to expand and to improve the free services they currently offer. The funds will help train volunteers to counsel patients and use equipment like ultrasound machines. The funds will also establish crisis centres and safe houses for those in need. Both centres are non-profit organisations. “We need funds to keep the operation going,” said Rene Alberts, Assistant Manager of Amato. According to Bes Liebenberg, the coordinator of student support in residences, “The Amato Pregnancy Crisis Centre has supported and still carries on supporting our students who go through this.” Liebenberg says that this is the main reason behind the partnership with Amato: raising funds to help young women who undergo this experience. Kamogelo Makau, a TuksVillage resident, says, “This campaign is good because it assures [us] that we are never alone; even in times of crisis, we have a shoulder to lean on.” Beads will be sold to raise funds for the campaign. In order to support the cause, one has to buy a packet that contains a string and beads. The beads cost R20 per metre and can be bought at Piazza Foods, Campus Kiosk and Coffee Buzz. These beads can be bought by day students as well. All the of beads collected will be combined in an attempt to make it into the Guinness Book of World Recordsfor the longest string of beads ever made. This attempt will take place on 3 October atKolonnadeRetailPark. However, on 29 September at 12:00 in the Piazza, residences will be comparing their strings. The res that boasts the longest will receive a R2 000 incentive. Liebenberg explains that TuksRes does not benefit financially from this project. Their only goal is to raise awareness about the issue of unplanned pregnancies. Vhutshilo Simba, a resident of Inca, says, “It [is] a good thing that residences get involved in such campaigns because residents will know where to turn to in such circumstances”.
Image: JP Nathrass
