A South African rape survivor shares her journey to help others
"You have taken my body, but you will never take ME.” - Jes Foord.
Our Woman Crush today is a woman who is a true ambassador of purpose, positivity, and perspective. Jes Foord is already a heroine for South Africans, not just other women and girls, but she is the heroine of her own story.
She became the heroine to many South Africans when she established The Jes Foord Foundation (JFF) following her traumatic gang rape by four men. Her courage and strength of purpose in the face of a horrific crime have resulted in something outstanding coming out of something terrible.
Foord's story is about hope, inspiration, courage, bravery, and perseverance. She chose to rise above her attack rather than let her attackers rule the path she decided to take next.
"On a hot Sunday afternoon in March 2008, Jes and her father Tim went to a small Dam in the Hillcrest area to walk their dogs at one of KwaZulu-Natal’s more peaceful beauty spots. They were surprised by a group of men who beat and tied Tim up before forcing him to watch the brutal gang rape of his daughter."
We live in a world teaching people not to rape, let’s teach people not to do it in the first place.
"Jes’s life was changed forever. Having suffered a crime that reportedly takes place in South Africa every 17 seconds, she realised that she had a choice: to let it destroy her or to become a rape survivor. She remembers thinking: 'You have taken my body, but you will never take ME'.”
At this point, she decided to regain control over her life and share her story with others. Sharing her story didn't come from a place of shame, but was motivated by courage and a desire to help educate people.
I formed the Foundation to help restore lives after rape by way of several initiatives and activities designed to change rape victims into rape survivors. I want to educate people and help them realise that there is life after rape.
The Jes Foord Foundation is a non-profit organisation that relies on donations and contributions. The Foundation aims to help rape survivors get through their trauma and provides them with hope.
It is important to remember that each donation or bit of assistance that the Jes Foord Foundation receives helps them educate people surrounding the fundamental issues of rape and also aids in their efforts to revolutionise the way victims of rape are treated. Thereby helping them become survivors, empowering them and allowing them the freedom to gain momentum in their self-esteem.
"It has been estimated that 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime and that 116 rapes occur in the country every day. Furthermore, only 1 in 4 cases are reported, and less than 9% of perpetrators are convicted. It is a sad reality that South Africa’s rape statistics are currently among the highest in the world.
"The Jes Foord Foundation coordinates various projects to EDUCATE, create AWARENESS and change attitudes through advocacy and other initiatives. It is, however, our aim to address the problem itself: the prevalence of rape in our society. Some of these initiatives include our Handbag Project, The Young Men’s Mentorship Program, Awareness Talks and free Trauma Counselling – all of which have a unique purpose but work together in addressing the problem."
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