enditnow®

South Africa dedicates the month of August to fight against abuse

Believing that prevention is better than the cure, enditnow® Emphasis Day activities take place across southern Africa.

Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID)

[Southern Africa] Prevention is better than cure. Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID) of Seventh-day Adventists with its headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa believes this.

An integrated team of leaders in the church departments of Children’s Ministries, Youth Ministries, Health Ministries, Education, Family Ministries, and other volunteers, joined hands across the division to bring awareness to the church congregations and their surrounding communities. This is a united effort to prevent abuse, family violence, and human trafficking. An advantage for enditnow® activities in the Republic of South Africa is that the country observes a month of abuse prevention in August.

With this year’s theme, “Words That Hurt [Wound],” the territories of the division heard about verbal and emotional abuse against spouses and children and ways to spot it. Knowing about it, noticing it in others and yourself is half the battle in its prevention.

Activities usually occur on the fourth Sabbath in August, a special day on the annual calendar of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Churchcalled enditnow® Emphasis Day.

• South Africa – Because the entire month of August is dedicated to fight against abuse, it was natural for church members to work with abuse awareness in their communities.
• Malawi – The women and men gathered in one place to educate one another about dangers of abuse.
• Mozambique – Women, youth, and children organized awareness marches while others presented awareness programs in their churches.
• Madagascar – Awareness of abuse and prevention was presented in all towns.
• Angola – Church members brought awareness of abuse to the community.
• Zimbabwe – the Family Life department took the lead in spearheading abuse awareness.

Reported by Caroline Chola, women's ministries director for Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

Published in Mosaic 2018 Q4, Fall issue