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South Africans were shocked when it was announced that an 8-year-old rape victim would take the stand to testify against the man, Nicolas Ninow, who raped her in a Dros restaurant in Pretoria last year. 

What good could it do to expose an already traumatised child to the cold court process, many asked.

Concerned citizens have a point. Research shows that sexually abused children who testify in court are far worse off than those who don’t — even a decade after the case is closed. This is especially true if their testimony is the only evidence against the accused.

But kids can fair just as poorly when they don't take the stand at all & abusers walk away with light sentences.

In Ninow’s case, details provided by witnesses, including his victim, proved crucial in proving the premeditated nature of his crime — and may now help put him behind bars for life.   

One in three South African children will have experienced some form of sexual abuse by the time they reach the age of 17 — enough children to fill Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium eight times.

Many cases will never see a police station let alone a courtroom. But for those that do, testifying will never be easier, but can the process be kinder? The answer may lie in some unexpected furry four-legged friends.

And this is no shaggy dog story. Read all about it here.  

All the best, 

Joan

PS What did you think? Let me know @vandykjoan. Have a tip or something we should be covering? Drop me a line joanv@bhekisisa.org.

Help us keep quality health journalism and social justice reporting free. Click here.
SPONSORED POST

The Lean Healthcare Summit will inspire the healthcare community to advance lean thinking and practice in their facilities to improve efficacy, free resources, reduce waiting times, impact staff morale, delight patients and save lives. During the Summit you will hear case studies and talks from Lean CEOs and leading international Lean practitioners on meeting the challenges in raising performance in healthcare and related organisations. There will be a particular focus on the African context.

We are proud to host three public sector hospital CEOs as speakers, including Grey Dube of Leratong Hospital, Gladys Bogoshi representing Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital CEO Bhavna Patel. Sharon Vasuthevan, Executive at Life Healthcare, one of South Africa’s top private hospital groups, will also be speaking.

All these leaders have embraced Lean and enjoy the benefit that it has brought to their healthcare facilities. John Toussaint, the keynote speaker, is the founder and Chairman of Catalysis, USA. He is a world-renowned healthcare improvement leader working across the globe, including South Africa. Don’t miss out on hearing more from these local and international healthcare Lean leaders. www.lean.org.za/lean-summit. Contact Mia Faull for more information.
Therapy pups from Top Dogs are dressed up as role players in the Krugersdorp Magistrates Court to showcase how court proceedings work to children that have to testify in court. Here, Peanut is dressed as a court orderly and lies on the lap of one of the children present in court. (Wikus de Wet)
The trauma of sexual abuse lasts a lifetime but what happens when trauma and our courts collide?

The risk of retraumatising kids is real when they take the stand but this crew of furry-four legged friends might be a way to help children through the process — and put more of their abusers behind bars. 

Joan van Dyk dives into the Teddy Bear Clinic's world of wet noses and paws to look at how well therapy dogs are working to make Gauteng courtrooms just a little bit kinder. 

Find out more
What happens when children take the stand against their abusers? @Bhekisisa_MG takes us inside the scars, the trauma & the tears — and how, in the courtroom, comfort may come from an unlikely place. What happens when children take the stand against their abusers? @Bhekisisa_MG takes us inside the scars, the trauma & the tears — and how, in the courtroom, comfort may come from an unlikely place.
Africa's young population is growing much faster than the rest of the world's, in part because we've saved so many babies from contracting HIV at birth. But now, as they come of age, they face a new threat. 

We speak to the world-renowned HIV researcher Salim Abdool Karim from the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa about this.

Listen to the podcast here
Last week Bhekisisa executive director and editor-in-chief Mia Malan shared our journey to independent, non-profit journalism at the Digital Media Africa conference.

Here are some highlights:
 



 
Read more about our journey in the journal of African Journalism Studies as Malan reflects on how donor-funding can help newsrooms reach new levels of impact and grow new audiences.
We've had an influx of new subscribers so let's give a warm Bhekisisa welcome to:

Josh Murphy of HE²RO,
Melani Alperta & Tinashe Njanji of the Peoples' Health Movement,
Tekano fellows Shehnaz Munshi and Vera Scott, Natasha Esau and Tamlyn Seunanden of the Health Systems Trust,
Thandi Puoane of the University of the Western Cape,
David Morton of Nelson Mandela University,
James van Duuren of the Public Health Association of South Africa,
Glynis Denicker and Charmain Lerendel of the Western Cape Health Department,
Carol Makura of Anova Health,
Saindhra Moodley of the University of Pretoria,
Mazvita Mberi of the Wits School of Public Health, and
Maria Jose of the University of Cape Town.

Like our newsletter? Forward it to your family, friends or colleagues so they can sign up themselves.


Opportunities from around the web:


Call for public comment, National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill 

The Portfolio Committee on Health invites stakeholders and interested parties to submit written submissions on the NHI Bill. The objective of the Bill is to achieve universal access to quality health care services in South Africa as per Section 27 of the Constitution. 

As part of this, the Bill sets up the creation of an NHI Fund and outlines its powers, functions and governance structures. The Fund will be used to strategically purchase healthcare services on behalf of citizens and certain categories of foreign nationals to ensure the equitable, effective and efficient utilisation of its resources.

Deadline: 11 October
Click here to submit your comment
For any inquiries email Vuyokazi Majalamba or call her on 021 403 3770 or 083 709 8522

PS Planning on making a submission and want your views heard? Help us broaden the public debate on the National Health Insurance. Add your submission to our public repository.



Public lecture: Harnessing the Immune Response — To measles elimination and beyond, National Institute for Communicable Diseases — Johannesburg

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases will be hosting Melinda Suchard on 4 November at 5.30 pm as part of the Poliomyelitis Research Foundations's 14th James HS Gear Memorial Lecture. 

The talk will take place in the James Gear Auditorium.

RSVP by emailing Irma Latsky or contact them on 011 555 0395




Call for nominations, Aspen New Voices fellowship — Washington

Nominations are now open for the Aspen Institute's New Voices 2020 fellowship. The opportunity offers development experts from across Africa, Asia, and Latin America a year-long programme of media support, advocacy training research and writing coaching.

The institute seeks leaders from countries that are underrepresented in global development conversations. Successful candidates will live and work in the communities they service and advocate for changes they want to see at home. Twenty-five fellows will be selected for the 2020 class of which 15 will be experts in fields such as infectious and non-infectious diseases, food security, mental health, development economics, health and human rights as well as climate change.

The remaining 10 will be experts working on the frontlines of sexual and reproductive health rights.

Deadline: 15 October
Find out more




Call for proposals, African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD): African Researchers' Small Grants Program

The ARNTD with support from the United States Agency for International Development and the United Kingdom (UK) aid from the UK government through the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases is seeking grant proposals.

Proposals will be for both operational and social science research on emerging challenges facing NTD programme implementation in Africa. 

Researchers — especially junior researchers and academics based in research institutions or universities in Africa may apply.

The small grants targeted at junior and senior researchers at the masters or PhD level will provide grants ranging from USD$5 000 to $25 000. 

Applications are accepted in both English and French.

Deadline: 30 September
Find out more




Call for papers, BioMed Central (BMC)

Submissions are now open to contribute manuscripts to the following journals: BMC Public Health; Environmental Health; Environmental Sciences Europe; Globalization and HealthMicrobiome and One Health Outlook.

The theme across all journals is environmental justice. Papers should shed light on the contribution evidence-based research can give to develop better practices and policies towards stronger environmental justice.

Submissions can include but are not limited to research on air pollution, sewage management, water systems management, drinking water quality and pesticides.

Deadline: 1 November
Find out more




Call for abstracts, Health Systems Trust

Abstract submissions are now open for the 2020 edition of the South African Health Review (SAHR). The coming edition's theme is equitable healthcare for people with disabilities in South Africa.

The Health Systems Trust is seeking abstracts providing fresh insights into health systems strengthening efforts for equitable healthcare for persons with disabilities. Preference will be given to manuscripts that take into account the complexities and opportunities for developing and sustaining inclusive health systems, especially in the context of universal health coverage.

The review will represent an evidence base which can be used to strengthen health systems and services to inform future policy development in South Africa.

Deadline: 31 October
Find out more




Call for applications, Rise Up: Gender Equity Initiative (GEI)

Rise Up, a leader in the global movement for gender equity launched the GEI in partnership with Cummins Inc. in order to advance education, opportunity, social justice and gender equity in South Africa.

The organisation will select 20 civil society and non-profit leaders from Gauteng and Durban to participate in a week-long advocacy and leadership accelerator workshop in February 2020. The purpose of the workshop is to build their advocacy capacity, strengthen leadership skills and develop a holistic understanding of the issues affecting women and girls in their communities.

Leaders will then have the opportunity to apply for competitive seed funding to launch their strategies to advance gender equity and justice across the country.

Deadline: 28 October
Find out more



Partnership opportunity, Rise Against Hunger: 2020 Nourishing Lives

The international hunger relief organisation Rise Against Hunger seeks to partner with organisations around the world to provide food and other life-changing assistance to the world's most vulnerable. The organisation provides fortified rice-soy meals.

Rise Against Hunger has opened applications for the provision of food assistance for meal, nutrition and medical programmes under its "Nourishing Lives" programme.

The organisation will evaluate partnership applications by the level of need within the community, the sustainability of the organisation's programme, its ability to import and manage in-country distribution as well as its ability to conduct monitoring and evaluation.

Deadline: 30 September
Find out more




Call for applications: Advocacy fellows, AVAC

AVAC’s Advocacy Fellows Programme launched in 2009 to expand the capacity of advocates and organisations to accelerate, shape and monitor biomedical HIV prevention research and implementation worldwide.

Seventy Fellows have moved through the programme in its first 10 years, many of whom have gone on to become leaders in the HIV movement in their communities, countries and globally.

The programme is aimed at emerging or mid-career community leaders in low and middle-income countries where biomedical HIV prevention or cure research is ongoing or planned. 

Deadline: 20 September
Click here to register
Click here to download the application materials
Regional stakeholder engagement advisor, AVAC — New York

The advocacy organisation, AVAC, seeks to employ a regional stakeholder engagement advisor. 

The advisor will provide technical, content-focused support to the organisation's research engagement activities, with a focus on activities in East and Southern Africa.

The successful candidate will have a passion for and experience in HIV prevention research advocacy. The candidate will also have a bachelors degree in a relevant field or a master's degree and/or experience in public or global health, development or other relevant fields.

Find out more



Call for female experts in any field, Quote This Woman+ — Various locations

Quote This Woman+ is a project of the non-profit Media Monitoring Africa to establish an online database of women and non-binary experts to improve gender representation in sourcing among the media. During the election season alone, Quote This Woman+ fielded more than 500 calls from journalists wanting to increase the voices of women in the media.

Keen to be quoted? Submit your details to kathy@augury.co.za

Deadline: N/A
Find out more

Have something to say or an opportunity to share? Let us know. Email tip-offs, comments or story and opinion suggestions to health@bhekisisa.org. 

Follow us on TwitterFacebook or Instagram for daily updates.
 
The Bhekisisa Team
Copyright © 2019 Bhekisisa Development Media NPC. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, Metal Box
25 Owl Street, 4th Floor, Braamfontein Werf, 2092, Johannesburg, South Africa

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