Rape comfort packs for kids are more than just a simple gift

Each month more than 200 little backpacks are delivered across KwaZulu-Natal.

The bag and its contents - new underwear, a packet of tissues, soap and a facecloth, a sanitary pad, a notebook and pen, crayons, a colouring book and a Teddy bear or small soft toy - provide more than comfort to young rape survivors under the age of 12.

"We received a call from a grandfather to thank us because his granddaughter was so traumatised when they arrived at the Thuthuzela Care Centre and it was the gifting of the kiddi pack that made her realise that she is in a safe space to talk about what had happened to her," the Jes Foord Foundation told TimesLIVE.

A handbag project, for adult rape survivors, started after the Jes Foord Foundation was established and to date has delivered over 51,407 rape comfort bags throughout SA.

The kiddi pack is sadly in high demand therefore, for Child Protection Week which ends on Sunday, a Durban woman Tina le Roux has launched a fundraising initiative for more bags to help child survivors through the initial trauma process.

"In 2018 the foundation started a new pack for the children attending court as witnesses in a sexual assault case. These bags have been received well by the court preparation officer in Pinetown and will be increased to include Verulam courts this year.

"This year the foundation have set their target to exceed packing and delivering over 5,000 rape comfort bags," Le Roux said.

The foundation believes that when a rape survivor is at their lowest, "just receiving the bag with all the goodies, a simple gift can give you hope which is a fundamental step to recovery".

But the bag's contents are more than a simple gift.

The intention of the new underwear is to replace the soiled ones, the sanitary pad is for vaginal and anal bleeding, and the notebook and pen is used for art therapy and to assist in forensic evidence gathering.

The foundation was born when its founder Jessica Foord survived a horrific rape more than a decade ago.

The foundation was born when its founder Jessica Foord survived a horrific rape more than a decade ago.

On March 2 2008, the then 21-year-old Foord and her father Tim were attacked while walking their dogs at a small dam in Hillcrest.

Four men tied up Tim before forcing him to watch the brutal rape of his daughter.

Le Roux, who is the production manager at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, also has her own story to tell. It was this story that led her to the foundation and to raise funds for its projects.

"The Jes Foord Foundation is very close to my heart. I went to them for help five years ago when I was gang raped.

"They offered me counselling and support, which allowed me to became a survivor. But for me that wasn't enough. I wanted to help change the world in some way, so that other survivors would know that there was somebody there for them too. 

"I have to believe in the good that is left in this world. That is the example Jes sets – they have taken my body but they will never take me," she said.

Le Roux is offering 100 tickets at R160 for the theatre's new production Charlotte's Web on June 15. The proceeds will go towards the foundation's kiddi pack project.

For more information visit www.jff.org.za/donate