Victim Empowerment Programme (Khumbhekani)
Khumbhekani VEP is a registered Limpopo NPO founded in 2005 by women in the Lulekani (Ba-Phalaborwa) community to tackle the high rate of domestic violence and GBV in the area. Operating from Office 217 at the Lulekani SAPS, they provide counselling, trauma debriefing, victim advocacy, HIV counselling and testing, school outreach, and community awareness to survivors and families across the Ba-Phalaborwa municipality.
Contact & Location
- E Kwenda
- Office 217, Lulekani SAPS, 1655 Chris Hani Street, Lulekani, Ba-Phalaborwa, Limpopo, 1392
Opening Hours
Opening hours not available. Contact the organisation directly.
About
About Khumbhekani VEP
Khumbhekani Victim Empowerment Programme (NPO 067-236) was established on 6 December 2005 by a group of determined women in the Lulekani area of the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality, Limpopo. The founders were motivated by the visible, daily reality of domestic violence, sexual abuse, human rights violations, and trafficking in their community — and the absence of structured support for victims. The name "Khumbhekani" is a Tsonga/Shangaan word meaning "remember/take note" or used as an appeal — reflecting the organisation's call on communities to take notice of and respond to abuse.
Their motto — "Your Pain is Our Concern" — defines their approach: every survivor who presents at Khumbhekani is received with care, confidentiality, and commitment to action.
Location and Structure
The organisation is located at Office 217 within the Lulekani SAPS building at 1655 Chris Hani Street, Lulekani, 1392. Co-location within the police station is a strategic design feature: survivors reporting crimes to police are immediately accessible to Khumbhekani's trained support workers, reducing the gap between crisis and care. Ba-Phalaborwa is an area with notably high GBV and HIV rates, compounded by poverty, seasonal mine employment patterns, and the social disruption they create.
Services
- Counselling and psychosocial support for survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, child abuse, and family violence — delivered by trained VEP practitioners.
- Trauma debriefing and crisis intervention for individuals in acute psychological distress following violent incidents.
- Victim advocacy and justice system support — supporting survivors through the reporting process, court preparation, protection order applications, and understanding their legal rights. Khumbhekani specifically aims to rehabilitate offenders alongside supporting victims, seeking to break the cycle of violence.
- HIV counselling and testing — trained through Foundation for Professional Development, Khumbhekani provides HIV C&T services, recognising the intersection of sexual violence, HIV risk, and GBV in their community.
- School visits and awareness campaigns — regular visits to schools for anti-violence education, drug abuse prevention, and teenage pregnancy awareness, with structured monitoring of at-risk learners.
- Food and clothing distribution — addressing poverty as a root cause vulnerability through material support to the most destitute families identified during door-to-door campaigns.
- Community outreach — regular door-to-door campaigns and public awareness events in Lulekani and surrounding villages.
Funding
Khumbhekani is entirely dependent on donations and does not generate its own funds. They have received training from the Department of Social Development and HWSETA, and have been supported by the GBVF Response Fund.