UMkhosi WeeNtokazi

Eyomphakathi Foundation has observed that most people suffer and die because of depression caused by Gender Based Violence and, in most cases,, they are not aware, especially in the disadvantaged communities. They suffer from the signs first and not seek help because they do not understand that they are going through the symptoms of these silent killers. This conference is targeting women, men, children and LGBT community of all ages in disadvantaged and financially challenged black communities where the death of our sisters and brothers occurs more often and goes unnoticed. We want to raise awareness that it is good to seek help at an early stage and being able to overcome it if you are already going through these silent killers. These findings were identified from the 1st Annual UMkhosi WeeNtokazi Conference that was held on the 07th of December 2019, which was speaking to only women and children. Men and LGTB came forward and voiced out that it is not only women and children who suffer from domestic abuse, they also need to be included. One of our depression speakers was gay, and he expressed how abused he was when growing up and was driven to depression, because his parents could not accept him as gay. These findings encouraged us as an Organization to change our program to accommodate everyone. Men suffer in silence because they are scared that people will laugh at them. As Eyomphakathi Foundation we want to assure everyone, that we are here for the whole community as the name of the organization says Eyomphakathi (For the community) Foundation. Objectives It aims to raise awareness against gender-based violence as well as health issues that is a result of GBV, among the victims in the vulnerable communities and the society. To identify issues contributing to the invisibility of women, men, children and LGBT’s community suffering. To equip community members to reach out to others and build meaningful relationships. To provide personal enrichment to gain self-confidence as a community member. To identify victims and perpetrators of violence and offer psychological assistance.