1. Kitchen. Inadequate and unhygienic. (urgent as per Dept. of Health regulations). 

2. Safety of whole building. (OHSA officer visit happening 7.9.20) Fire dept. signoff also targeted. 

3. Bathrooms. Really used up, and more bathrooms need to be added, possibly by using existing store rooms. 

4. Floors: tiles cracked, vinyl worn through. a. Bedrooms b. Communal /other areas 

5. Basic urgent handyman work for leaks, peeling paint, etc. 

6. Aluminium windows Most need repair / replacement. 

7. Kids play area. 

a. Structures need to be painted and made safe. 

b. Artificial grass must be lifted and ground leveled, and same grass replaced. 

c. Equipment to be placed in a safer configuration. 

8. Gardens 

a. Areas need to be repurposed 

b. Veggie garden and meditation garden added. 

9. Indoor painted throughout. 

OPERATIONAL: (volunteers time needed) 

A. Sorting and clearing of existing storage areas. 

B. Find an architect to repurpose spaces and areas that help Safe house meet its therapeutic goals. 

C. Build the above. Builders and donations needed. 

D. Establish systems that maintain the above. 

E. Create a Volunteer program that helps with maintaining spaces, buildings and systems. Clear processes and weekly To-do lists needed for staff and volunteers to assist with implementing on an ongoing basis. 

The L’Abrie de Dieu Safehouse is a haven for women and children fleeing domestic violence. It currently houses 8 women and 9 children, from 7 months to 16 years old. These traumatised families arrive at the Safehouse because they have no secure place to live away from their abusers. We think of these women and children as patients: they are in need of specialised care.

The Wall Foundation was founded to provide safe spaces, both physically and therapeutically, to those that may not know how or where to access these services. The Safehouse proved to be in critical need of both of these safe-keeping measures, but the most urgent was the state of the building itself.

The Stellenbosch Safehouse came to our attention through a post on social media. The request was for an upgraded kitchen, as the Department of Health had identified this as an issue.

Our first visit revealed that the kitchen was just the tip of the iceberg. The Safehouse has not been maintained for years. Bathrooms, paint, plumbing and cupboards all in a state of disrepair. Many areas were clearly unsafe: open drains, broken windows, unstable jungle gym, holes in playground grass. Fire hazards in storage areas abounded. Leaking windows and walls that led to rotting clothing and other donated items.

Donations of clothing and food had been piling up for many months. Unpacking these donations filled 1.5 containers alone. The Wall Foundation subsequently sorted and sold most of these items, and raised R30,000. This represents a communal effort of over 200 hours.

The Safehouse is partially funded by the Department of Social Development (DSD), but largely by private sector donations. The house has 8 bedrooms and is owned by the Stellenbosch Municipality, but is neither subsidised nor maintained by the Municipality.

Initially we had a long list of needs and collectively started to focus on getting to the important and urgent matters first. The scope of the project grew almost daily but the list below covered some really challenging areas in the Safe House at the time. Given the sensitivity and nature of this project we are unfortunately not able to share any more detail, but we are convinced that the generous community played the most important part in getting us this far. 

The Wall Foundation and its partners were immediately able to put a plan into action to address urgent areas. We have managed to raised funds and completed the following projects at the Safehouse:

• The entire downstairs area was painted a beautiful, uniformed color and this gave it a whole new welcoming look.

• The old kitchen was removed and replaced with a new hospitality-like kitchen, using some of the old granite tops and changing the layout to a more user-friendly space. An additional pantry was built, and the existing dining room enlarged to increase the seating area. This area was painted, tiled, and fitted with new electrics.

• All the downstairs’ bedrooms were tiled to go with their new coat of paint and one of the bathrooms was repaired with a newly fitted bath and basin.

• Pest control was contracted to deal with the large termite problem.

• All storerooms, that were filled with accumulated donations, were packed out, sorted out and cleaned out were necessary.

• The kids play area was redesigned to a more stable and safer zone! The ground was relevelled, the wooden jungle gyms given a new coat of beautiful colors and exciting sports gear was sponsored.