A generation of brave, empowered women, who know their worth, and are influencing Manenberg and beyond
Basila is a family who embraces young women wanting to rewrite their story. A home to find freedom from addictions, escape from damaging relationships and become all they were created to be. We are a home that looks at the whole person and provides physical, emotional, spiritual and educational support. Basila is a home where women are loved extravagantly, loved from vulnerability into brave, strong, and free women.
How do we do it?
The heart behind Basila is family, redeeming the picture of family, and understanding that in family, women, and their kids, will find identity and freedom. Our women need a place where they can be cared for while they have the opportunity to process and heal from what has gone before, where they learn to re-parent themselves as they figure out how to parent their own kids in a better way. As they heal, we also want to call them into their identity as brave, strong women, able to impact a community.
We welcome young moms with children because there are so few in-house spaces that will house recovering addicts with their children simultaneously - a huge need in the Cape Flats. In these cases, we spend a lot of time helping the moms become the best possible parents they can be. We do this through modelling attentive, loving care and through our parenting classes.
Living alongside a house supervisor, the women and kids follow a rhythm of life that enables them to grow and look forward to their futures, but also deals with the trauma in their pasts.
Our programme pays attention to their recovery by attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings and individual sessions at The Matrix, a government-run programme, educating them on addiction, triggers, recovery, and relapse prevention. Where traumas have been extensive and are beyond our scope, we make use of external professionals.
After their 12 month intensive programme (mixed in with the fun of creativity, exercise, and community), the women are sent on training courses that will lead to employment, allowing for greater independence, ability to support their children and contribute to society. This is the reintegration phase of the programme (12-18 months), preparing them for stepping back into the “outside” world while still held by supportive community and structure.
Our life rhythms include?
Education: homeschooling/tutoring the women to their academic potential and helping them develop a picture of what their future could look like, accessing the necessary resources, and creating a supportive environment to do so. Engaging the children in activities to match their developmental needs, and when ready, to get them into an appropriate pre-school/school
Spiritual: mentoring and spiritual input, introducing the girls to Jesus and a lifestyle of being a follower of Jesus and participation in our church family, Tree of Life
Psychosocial: accessing appropriate therapeutic care for the needs of each individual women and child
Social: teaching the women what a healthy family life can look like; eating meals together, supporting one another and lots of love!
Creativity: a space to tap in to different activities and to inspire: dance, art, creative writing, crafts
Meet the team
What do we need?
We love prayer! Why not commit to interceding for us. Drop us a message and we’ll email you with a girl or team member’s name that you can be praying specifically for over a period of time. Givers who want to sow monthly into the girls’ time with us, towards their education, day to day living and extracurricular activities, please get in touch or click below.