Joy & Jewels – A charity auction for victims of abuse, was hosted by the Eskom Foundation and in association with LiveOutLoud

Prominent women from the business and public sector were expected to attend a day of joy, jewels and the opportunity to bid on specially commissioned photographic portraits of women and children as well as one of a kind jewellery. These were some of the highlights of an event hosted by the Eskom Foundation in association with Live Out Loud magazine at the exclusive Summer Place in Hyde Park, Johannesburg on Wednesday, 11 August.

In celebration of Women’s Day, all proceeds from the sale of tickets to the elegant tea and the Joy & Jewels charity auction went to iKhaya Lethemba, The Teddy Bear Clinic and Family Justice Support Services.

Places of safety was chosen as the theme and beneficiaries for the 2010 Joy & Jewels by The Eskom Foundation, who is responsible for the execution of Eskom’s corporate social investment (CSI) programmes.

Says Haylene Liberty, CEO of the Eskom Development Foundation: “Although the FIFA World Cup has brought many benefits to our shores, there has also been a greater risk of human trafficking in South Africa and the Foundation has chosen to counter this by focusing on the prevention of abuse against women and children.”

In 2002, Eskom donated the building to iKhaya Lethemba and one of the mothers has inscribed the following words on a mural, decorated by the residents: “Once upon a time there was an ugly duckling. All the ducks in the river thought he was the ugliest duck. He cried all the time and wished he was beautiful. Winter came and he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up he saw that he had become a beautiful swan.”

According to Ms Mokonyane, Premier of the Gauteng Province and patron of iKhaya Lethemba, this sums up what iKhaya Lethemba, The Teddy Bear Clinic and Family Justice Support Services are all about.

“Taking these broken women and children, with crushed self confidence and turning them into self sufficient human beings, active in the economy.” The charity auction conducted by Saville Row Auctions, included twelve portraits of women and children by social documentary photographer Hannelie Coetzee and eight specially designed pieces of jewellery by students from the Tshwane University of Technology.

In addition to financial assistance, as part of its i-Volunteer employee programme, the Eskom Foundation will be encouraging staff around the country to give of their time to similar NGOs that create places of safety for women and children.

Says Ms Liberty: “This is not just about training for victim support, but Eskom i-Volunteers can address whatever needs these centres have, whether it is reading to children or teaching women life skills or crafts. “These are portable skills which the recipients will be able to turn into a means to an income, something many of these women are unable to do, since they are usually financially dependent on their husbands or partners.”

Last year’s Joy & Jewels beneficiary was the Breast Health Foundation, a section 21 company, which was established in April 2002 to educate the public on breast health and breast cancer and increase awareness and empowerment of women.

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