“For us at the office, the task is to change this way of thinking. We do this first by inviting these men and community leaders to our activities so they can be included and understand the value of solidarity. Through our events, they can become more aware and be educated. We also accompany women when they have to go speak to the traditional leaders or when they have to go to the police station or the clinics.
“We have other challenges where women can’t access termination of pregnancy services and now and again we have stock-outs or shortages of ARVs, contraceptives, and PrEP,” she says. “There is also this problem of nurses telling women that things like contraceptives, condoms, or PrEP are not for them and they deny them services and medication.”
Growing the network has also, this winter, seen the Blood River Advice Office recruit and train 107 women to be community volunteers. They are the ears and eyes, Selona says, who can help to identify cases where intervention is necessary; boost awareness of human rights and responsibilities, and get feedback that helps them target their messaging better and tweak their work to stay relevant.
“Sometimes we go without resources for six months, but we carry on. Sometimes when a woman comes in here and she doesn’t have money for a taxi to get to a shelter that we have organised for her, then we do put our hands into our own pockets — it’s what you do as a community worker — you go over and beyond your job description,” she says.