Helping Women’s Refuge in Christchurch

by frog

Many of you may remember that after the September quake in Christchurch, there was a reported upsurge in domestic violence in the city.

It seems that the same trend is emerging after this even more devastating quake. Sadly, not everyone responds heroically to a disaster, and vulnerable families often fly apart under the pressure. Police have reported 138 domestic violence related incidents since Tuesday.

Women’s Refuge do amazing work supporting victims of domestic violence, but there is only one refuge left standing in Christchurch. Refuge workers are reportedly exhausted. Women’s Refuge sent five support workers from other centres last Thursday, including CEO Heather Henare. Here’s some words from one of those workers:

“I had no idea, sitting in Hastings before I joined the team in Christchurch of the devastation that surrounds the area or the personal tragedy the Women’s Refuge advocates were facing and their very real need to take care of themselves and their whanau. Whilst they were desperately attempting to cope with their own trauma, they were also trying to get assistance for the women and children who already or who potentially will, need their help.

We called over 60 women on the Refuge books to see if they were OK. When we called, they often said ‘I’m fine.’ What that meant is ‘I’m alive.’ Many of these women had dependent children, no power, no water and no food. Because of the generosity of people in Wellington, we had been able to load up two vans and take food and other supplies to Christchurch with us. We reached as many of those families as we could, we had people running out of houses, crying when they saw we had delivered water, torches, food and sanitary supplies directly to them. We deal with some of the most vulnerable women and children in society. Their lives dealing with violent partners were a shambles before the earthquake, how can we imagine what it is like after it.”

Women’s Refuge have received some amazing support in the last couple of days, including large food donations and the use of free rental vans. But they still need help.

You can make an online cash donation on their website. This page also has instructions for other ways you can help.