In the 1980s Straatwerk began reaching out to women caught in prostitution in the harbour of Cape Town. In the late 1990s the focus shifted to helping women on the streets. This led to opportunities to also be involved in child-focused family outreaches.
Today, our work continues to grow from these early efforts.
We aim, together with the community, to prevent those at risk of entering prostitution and to restore those who have been involved in prostitution.
We believe that God wants to stop all forms of sexual abuse, prostitution, and pornography. This can happen through focused prayer and compelled action.
Primary and high schools are targeted. First, a group of women from the community gathers to pray at these schools. The same women then assist us in making appointments at the schools for presentations.
A comprehensive resource package is available for those interested in hosting presentations. Click here to view the full resource package.
The campaign is now reaching more places across the country and even the world. We are constantly working on creating helpful resources that are easy to understand and suited to the needs of each person, no matter where they are on their journey.
We run different initiatives to help women leave prostitution and walk alongside them as they discover a new, full life with Jesus.
By handing out small gifts (for example sweet treats, butterflies to explain the new life in Christ etc.), we bring the message of Christ in a non-threatening way. A gift becomes a symbolic reference to the gift of new life which Christ gives which no money can buy.
This means going out to meet women who are stuck in a life of prostitution. Caring outreach teams can currently be found in Cape Town CBD, Brooklyn, Woodstock, Salt River, Bellville, and Parow.
Teams are allowed into certain clubs where they can show kindness and love to women working there. At clubs where they can’t go inside, they still pray outside, trusting that their prayers make a difference.
During outreach we invite the women to the Ministry Centre. In this safe, welcoming context we have conversations, sharing truth and together discover the next steps on her journey. Craft activities, word searches, music, etc. help create a comfortable and edifying experience.
Everyone’s needs and journey to restoration look different. This is an ongoing process to fine-tune and improve the curriculum to better support their needs.
These sessions focus on helping women who choose to leave prostitution to grow in their faith and make a fresh start. The one-on-one sessions give personal support, meeting each woman right where she is on her journey.
This program lets sponsors support two good causes at once: helping women build a better future and supporting local charities. When a woman shows growth, commitment, and stability in her journey, she can receive sponsored payment for doing volunteer work at places like the SPCA or old age homes.
We sit with each woman to explore her strengths and abilities. Together, we then find job options that suit her and help her plan for the training she needs to reach her goals.
Hands of Hope is a job *habilitation and fund-raising initiative for women who recently left a destructive lifestyle and seek to live the abundant life in Jesus Christ.
*habilitation: the process of learning or improving skills and functional abilities that a person has not yet developed or is not developing normally.
Habilitation helps a person learn a new skill or function, whereas rehabilitation helps someone regain a skill they previously possessed.
These are practical ways for the women to earn some money with dignity. When they collect and recycle items for cash, Straatwerk adds extra money on top of what they earn to make a decent living. #doppiesdinsdag
These are groups of people helping to bring hope and healing in their own communities. We partner with them by means of workshops, team gatherings and administrative support. These teams are currently at work in Stellenbosch, Bellville, Parow, Athlone, Kenilworth, Bloemfontein, Jefferey’s Bay and Tzaneen.
This is about training volunteer teams and improving the curriculum and materials we give them, so they are well-equipped and ready to make a real impact.
Every year on Women’s Day, we host a special event where volunteers come together to worship, celebrate, and connect. It’s also a chance to sign up and help with different parts of the outreach.
Women who have come out of prostitution are also given the opportunity to share their stories and help others begin their healing journeys.
We invite churches to get involved by informing them about the realities of prostitution and sexual abuse. They are encouraged to step in where help is needed. We equip them with the tools and understanding to make a real difference, and we offer continual support and encouragement through the process.
We speak up for those who can’t. We help create awareness and give input on laws to protect and uplift vulnerable people.
We seek to partner and network with individuals; congregations; ministries; NGOs and businesses to share support and services as well as to learn from each other.