ARK OF HOPE SOUTHERN AFRICA
FOCUSING ON women & girls rights across Southern Africa.
Ark of Hope Southern Africa is a non-profit organization that focuses on the rights of women and girls.
Ark of Hope Southern Africa is committed to addressing the challenges that women and girls in rural areas face in accessing quality education and quality reproductive health care.
Ark of Hope Southern Africa is committed to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls; and hopes to establish a daily walk-in center and a shelter to provide counseling, ongoing support and advice to women and girls in rural areas.
In 2015, Ark of Hope Southern Africa launched Camp Girls Leading Our World (GLOW), a week long leadership training camp for teenage girls that provides life-skills on important health topics in an open and accepting environment.
Mbali "Pretty" Arojojoye is the Founder and Director of Ark of Hope Southern Africa. She also serves as the Managing Director of Tshwane Home of Hope, a shelter located in Pretoria, South Africa that offers residential care and education to disadvantaged girls. To learn more about Pretty's story, check out this interview -- one of the top 10 most listened to podcast interviews in South Africa.
A 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow, Pretty has been recognized globally for her civic leadership. Following the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Pretty was one of 100 Fellows competitively selected to participate in an 8-week internship internship in the United States. She interned at Refugee Family Services in August-September 2014. Her work has been featured in the LA Times and more.
INSPIRE TRANSFORMATION & Tshwane Home of Hope
With Inspire Transformation's support, Ark of Hope will strengthen their current services at Tshwane Home of Hope. Support includes:
- Camp Girls Leading Our World (GLOW)
- Professional resources and training
- Counseling education and techniques
- Clothing and feminine hygiene products for young women, ages 12-18
- Skill & Hobby Kits - sewing, sports equipment, art supplies, etc.
Tshwane Home of Hope (THoH) is a shelter that provides holistic services including residential care, education and skills development, early intervention, counseling, community outreach and income generating programs to young girls, ages 12-18, who are survivors of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, etc. THoH ensures that the needs of these girls are met through these programs. The Home, which has been providing residential services to young girls ages 12-18 who are survivors of severe life circumstances, has been operating for 12 years. The home is an important space of “rest and recovery” for the girls to reconstruct their lives and develop life skills that can assist their reintegration into “normal” society.
THoH works to, where possible, re-unite the girls with their families, or to facilitate their replacement in an appropriate home or offer foster care in cases where there is no family existence. THoH empowers and rehabilitates the young women with basic education and life-skills (sewing, bags making and beads making). THoH has the capacity to shelter 22 girls aged between 12-18 years; intake of girls under the age of 12 yrs is taken under certain circumstances and an alternative placement should be made as soon as possible. In addition, THoH serves as a counseling centre, primarily for young women who are survivors of gender based violence, human trafficking, teenage pregnancy, as well as girls who are in conflict with the law.
INSPIRE TRANSFORMATION'S LEGACY PROJECT WITH ARK OF HOPE SOUTHERN AFRICA
In January 2016, at the request of Ark of Hope Southern Africa, Inspire Transformation launched a capital campaign to support Ark of Hope Southern Africa to expand it's services to the Nkomazi Region, where it plans to open the "Ark of Hope Tonga". Similar to Tshwane Home of Hope, the shelter would be used by women, teens, and children who are survivors of rape, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
The capital campaign covers the expenses related to the construction of "Ark of Hope Tonga" as well as the operational start-up cost. In total, the goal is to raise $29,000 USD.
