“Do not let what happened to you eat away at you. Tell someone and you will have the support you need to overcome your own mountains”
Florence Masetla, Rees Webber, Khanyisile Nokuthula Hlatshwayo, Wian de Beer, Peaceful Rakoma and Patrick Seabela at the Drakensberg mountains.
M
edics support
CLIMB
Against Sexual Abuse “Sexual abuse is wrong and you should not allow people to abuse you in any way”
Two ER24 medics recently joined an educational hiking expedition held by CLIMB Against Sexual Abuse in the Drakensberg mountains. The 16 kilometre hike, done by nine people which included victims of sexual violence and people who were there to support them, was completed in nine hours. Rees Webber and Wian de Beer, medics from the ER24 Joburg West branch, discussed general safety with the climbers as well as the different types of snakes they could possibly find in Drakensberg. After the hike, the medics and group they were with conducted an outreach programme in the Mnweni area. “There, they discussed sexual abuse as well as gave people advice on possible ways to recover from what had happened. Webber was contacted by CLIMB after they heard about his hike to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in June. They wanted him to climb for their cause. Webber said he chose to participate in the climb because he believes in what the organisation is fighting for. “Sexual abuse is wrong and you
should not allow people to abuse you in any way. People should stand up against sexual abuse. Victims should fight for who they are and not let anyone hurt them. I wanted to help and was excited to climb the Drakensberg mountain. I enjoyed climbing in support of the cause. I was thrilled to meet new people and the views were breathtaking,” he said. De Beer jumped at the chance to join the expedition when Webber asked if he would. “I have always had a passion for helping people hence my job. I had a passion for helping others from a young age. I initially studied marketing but soon realised something was missing. I also tend to get bored easily and the combination of helping others and the unpredictability of the day to come puts me in my element. “The climb was really enjoyable with spectacular views. It was tough at some stages but overall a great experience. “Being able to interact with different people and cultures was amazing,” he said. De Beer is now officially part of Climb Against Sexual Abuse. His role will be to assist with marketing.
Florence Masetla, the head of the Climb Against Sexual Abuse South Africa Chapter, was thrilled that the medics joined the expedition. She said they made the group feel safe. “It was encouraging and safe having them with us. “The hike was amazing and humbling,” she said. Although sexual abuse is a common occurrence and a crime, many victims opt to suffer in silence due to a number of reasons. Reasons may include fear, shame and lack of information on where to seek help. The outcome for many of these victims includes depression and suicidal thoughts. CLIMB Against Sexual Abuse is a global organisation that was started at the One Young World Summit held in Dublin Ireland last year. It was formally established in February this year. CLIMB’s headquarters is in New York USA. The South African Chapter was started in May 2015. CLIMB is committed to breaking the silence on sexual abuse. The organisation aims to empower survivors of sexual abuse and breaking the silence through their
website, survivor clips, educational programmes and climbs. “We want to change society’s mindset as far as sexual violence is concerned - to break the stigma around sexual abuse and to advocate for zero tolerance for abuse,” said Masetla. She urged people not to abuse, rape or harm others in any way. She urged victims to break the silence, to find healing and justice. “I think we still have a long way to go in terms of dealing with this social ill - to get to a level where as a society we have zero tolerance for sexual abuse, for any type of abuse for that matter,” she said. De Beer’s message to people who are victims of sexual violence is, “You do not have to remain secretive about it. “Do not let what happened to you eat away at you. “Tell someone and you will have the support you need to overcome your own mountains.” Upcoming planned climbs include Victoria Falls, Mount Kilimanjaro and Everest, some of which the medics will be joining. Other Chapters, especially other Chapters in the African continent, have been invited to join.