When the Purple Profile Pictures Fade, the Real Work Begins

Every year during Gender-Based Violence Awareness Month, social media fills with purple profile pictures. It is a meaningful gesture. But for the women and children living through real trauma, awareness doesn’t end on the first of December. Their safety, their recovery and their futures are still waiting for help long after the hashtags stop trending.

This story is about one mother and her teenage daughter who are trying to rebuild their lives after an extreme trauma that no family should face. Both were recently admitted to a mental health facility for stabilisation and support. Their story is not unique, and that is exactly why it matters.

With the help of local support networks, a safe rental home has now been secured for them close to a community member who can keep an eye on their wellbeing as they transition back into everyday life. But the needs do not stop at a roof and a front door.

The daughter will need trauma-informed academic support to complete her matric next year. Both mother and daughter will require ongoing counselling and psychological care to recover from what they have lived through. These are not luxuries. They are the building blocks of long-term safety, stability and dignity.

A BackaBuddy campaign has been set up to help cover the rental deposit, the first month’s rent, and the immediate essentials that will help them come home to a safe, calm space. Funds will also go toward trauma-informed tutoring and continued counselling as they rebuild their lives.

This is a personal project driven by a simple belief: if we say we care about ending gender-based violence, we have to care about the quiet, difficult work that comes afterwards too. Not just the headlines. Not just the awareness colours. The real, practical support that helps survivors stand again.

Times are hard for many people, and financial pressure is real. Even so, a single share or a small contribution can help this family take the next step toward stability.

The campaign link is here:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/helping-a-mother-rebuild-her-life-safely

Awareness opens eyes. Community action changes lives.