Amcare-Hanna House (VEC)
Its **Victim Empowerment Centre (VEC)**, also known as Hannah House, is a Place of Safety providing temporary shelter for up to 20 women and their children who are victims of domestic violence and at risk. The shelter is fully free of charge and accommodates residents for a minimum of three months, with stays extendable up to 12 months depending on individual need. Sheltered residents receive individual trauma counselling once a week plus weekly group therapy; children receive group counselling during school holidays and individual sessions as needed. Counselling goals include rebuilding self-esteem and communication and coping skills destroyed by sustained abuse. The **skills development programme** — available to sheltered women — covers basic sewing, beadwork, basic catering, computer literacy, food gardening, and job placement assistance, building economic independence and the practical foundation to rebuild a life after leaving. Additional services include: protection order assistance and legal support; psychosocial support with a victim-centred approach; school and crèche placement for children; community awareness and education; and assistance with identifying and accessing safety plans before leaving an abusive relationship. Beyond its VEC, Amcare operates a broader welfare programme encompassing **HIV/AIDS Care and Relief** and **Elderly Care** — making it a multi-service hub for Alberton's most vulnerable communities. VEC helpline: 065 811 7266 / social work email: thembi@amcare.org.za.
Contact & Location
- Marihet Infantino
- 15 Heidelberg Road, Newmarket Park, Alberton, 1449
Opening Hours
Opening hours not available. Contact the organisation directly.
About
Hannah House — Place of Safety
Amcare's VEC, known as Hannah House, provides temporary emergency accommodation for up to 20 women and their children who are fleeing domestic violence and are assessed to be at risk. Admission criteria are based on risk — any woman experiencing domestic violence who is unsafe is eligible; there are no costs. The minimum stay is three months; stays can be extended up to 12 months.
What makes Hannah House more than just a roof is what happens while residents are there. Every woman receives: individual trauma counselling once a week, conducted by Amcare's social work team; weekly group therapy in which all residents participate together; educational group sessions covering the cycle of abuse, safety planning, legal rights, and the dynamics of coercive control; and age-appropriate counselling for children during school holidays and on-request individual sessions.
The approach is explicitly victim-centred and trauma-informed. Amcare's counselling materials work from the recognition that abusers are not easy to spot, that abuse is rarely physical alone, and that financial and emotional control are forms of abuse as serious as violence. The FAQ content on Amcare's VEC page gives some insight into the kinds of questions residents most commonly bring: what to do when you don't want to open a case; how to get a protection order; what happens to your children; whether you can still go to work.
Skills Development
For survivors in a shelter, the question of economic independence is as urgent as safety. Amcare's skills development programme addresses this directly, offering sheltered women training in basic sewing, beadwork, basic catering, computer literacy, food gardening, and assistance with job placements. The programme's explicit goal is that women leave the shelter with not just safety, but the economic foundation to sustain that safety.
Protection Orders and Legal Support
Amcare assists residents with understanding and applying for protection orders — the Domestic Violence Act, 1998 mechanism that provides legally enforceable protection and can carry sanctions for violation. The team advises on what protection orders cover, how long they are valid (indefinitely, once granted), and how to apply through the local magistrate's court. Residents who do not want to open criminal cases are not forced to — Amcare's approach recognises that the decision to prosecute belongs to the survivor.
Out-Based Services
Beyond shelter, Amcare's VEC provides services to out-based clients — individuals who are not resident in the shelter but who access counselling, support, and referral services from the community. Amcare's recent stats note 130 out-based clients served, demonstrating that the VEC functions as a broader community resource, not only for women in residence.
Community Awareness and Education
Amcare runs community awareness and education programmes on domestic violence, the cycle of abuse, and rights of victims — investing in the surrounding community's capacity to recognise abuse early, support those experiencing it, and reduce secondary victimisation.
HIV/AIDS Care and Relief
Amcare's HIV/AIDS Care and Relief programme serves the broader Alberton community, recognising the well-documented intersection between HIV status and vulnerability to domestic violence. Women and children who are HIV-positive are among those most at risk of abuse and least able to access mainstream services.
Elderly Care
Amcare also provides elderly care services — completing the picture of a multi-generational welfare organisation whose VEC work sits within a broader commitment to vulnerable community members of all ages.
Relevance to GBV Survivors
For survivors in Alberton, Eden Park, Thokoza, Phola Park, and Greenfields who need emergency shelter, free counselling, or skills development support, Hannah House / Amcare VEC is one of the primary local resources. The combination of free shelter, individual and group counselling, child support, legal assistance, and economic skills development makes it one of the more holistic VECs in the Ekurhuleni south corridor.
Amcare — Hannah House VEC: 15 Heidelberg Road, Newmarket Park, Alberton, Gauteng. Phone: 011 869 5856 / 068 473 4453. VEC helpline: 065 811 7266. Email: info@amcare.org.za / thembi@amcare.org.za. Website: amcare.org.za.