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Shakti - a decade of dedicated service
DF Issue No. 30 Sept 05
May 28 was a red letter day for Shakti Community Council as they celebrated their tenth year of active participation in various areas of social services (including women’s refuge), settlement, education and employment assistance.
It was an evening of cultural festivity and food at the New Lynn Community Centre Hall, as a wide representation of the ethnic community shared the joy of the occasion. High profile politicians also graced the event led by Prime Minister Helen Clark and the her deputy, Michael Cullen who was gracious enough to cut the celebratory cake. Waitakere MP Lynn Pillay was also there along with Maungakiekie’s Mark Gosche.
On a somber note, the day also served as a swan song for Farida Sultana, Shakti’s original prime mover who is leaving New Zealand for further career development.
In retrospect, The Shakti Women’s Unit has its origins in the Shakti Asian Women’s Support Group which was founded by Farida Sultana in 1995 with the ideology of providing a culturally appropriate and safe environment for Asian women to meet and overcome isolation as well as network within the New Zealand community. Farida and her group of 7 other Asian women were driven by an overriding passion to empower migrant and refugee women towards making them self-sufficient and independent. The Support Group held Life Skills programmes like tutoring English language, driving etc.
Increasingly visible incidents of domestic
violence within the Ethnic community and
the inability of other Refugees to cater to
Ethnic Women in a culturally appropriate
manner motivated the Support Group to
establish the first ever Refuge/Safehouse for
Asian/Ethnic Women in the country in 1998.
The Safehouse offers a safe and secure environment
for women and children who are
victims of domestic violence. The Refuge,
besides offering legal assistance and Life
Skills programmes also focuses on gradual
Shakti... Cont’d from page 6 empowerment of women who break away
from the cycle of Domestic Violence.
Shakti’s 24-hour 0800 SHAKTI Call Centre
is the first point of contact for women who
have decided to live lives free of violence. In
the year 2000, Shakti Asian Women’s Centre
was set up with the objective of providing a
drop-in centre for Ethnic Women, to
socialise, exchange views and promote
empowerment. The Centre also provides
Social Outreach work besides legal assistance
and counselling. In January 2003,
Shakti established its second Safehouse to
accommodate a larger number of women
seeking safety from Domestic Violence. In
May 2003, Shakti underwent organisational
restructuring and the Shakti Women’s Unit
was set up, incorporating the two
Safehouses, the Women’s Centre and the
Crisis Call Centre.
For further info on Shakti, visit their website on www.shakti.org.nz.