🇿🇦🇰🇷남아공 ~My BTS story🇿🇦🇰🇷 l

#mybtsstory
Dear BTS,
My name is Jess Dewhurst and I am a human rights activist, proud South African and Army based in Cape Town.
So at the very same time that you were debuting, I formed an incredible group of young people who give their lives to taking a stand against injustice. We are called “The Justice Desk” and we are a youth-led, run, and inspired non-profit organisation that empowers everyday people to become human rights defenders and changemakers in their communities. We operate in South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and focus on fighting for the rights of children and ending all forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Since 2013, we have impacted the lives of over 2 million people, and we are just getting started.
We have trained thousands of people to fight for their rights, have hundreds of child ambassadors educating their communities, countless young girls standing up against violence, as well as young boys determined to use their lives to protect women and challenge toxic masculinity. This has resulted in human traffickers being caught, child marriages being ended, corporal punishment being abolished in schools, accessible reporting lines for Deaf children, and thousands of children now determined to build safe communities for all.
But that's not to say that it's been easy. We do the work that many choose not to. We work in some of the most dangerous communities on earth, seeing severe human rights violations, and taking on heavy trauma as a result. The journey isn't easy and there have been times when I was told it wasn't going to work, times where I was threatened, physically attacked and almost lost my life for challenging injustice. And if I'm being honest, there have also been times when I thought I should just give up.
It was during one of these times that I was lying in bed, feeling more lost than ever before and on the verge of giving up, when I heard a song playing in the distance. I heard the most incredible sound, followed by a few simple words that would ultimately change my life. It said, “all the underdogs in the world, a day may come when we lose, but it's not today. Today we'll fight”. I remember sitting up and feeling like these words were meant for me, telling me to never give up, to rather get up and have the audacity to keep fighting. And that's what I did. I got up and I kept fighting. And thank God that I did.
We then launched one of our flagship projects, “The Mbokodo Club” (which translates to The Rock Club) which supports young girl survivors of rape and Gender-Based Violence from vulnerable communities. It was inspired by your message to “speak yourself” and BTS ARMY immediately supported us by raising the first few funds needed to start it off. The project offers our girls leadership and empowerment workshops, mental health care, trauma counselling, self-defence, boxing, and fitness classes. The project has gone on to become a phenomenal success, reaching and empowering hundreds of young girl survivors and inspiring thousands of others across the globe. ARMY also joined the project as mentors to our young girls, supporting them, loving them, and helping them overcome their trauma. As one of our young girls said, the project has helped her grow from “victim to victor” and as a result, our girls have become empowered changemakers, leading their communities and standing up for what is right. We then also formed a relationship with the Korean Embassy who have continued to celebrate and support our work across the African continent.
Justice work is difficult, and many people think that it's almost impossible to achieve - but I know that it's achievable because I see it being done each and every day. I could have given up, but thankfully, I was inspired by seven young guys from South Korea, who believed in me and my journey, just as much as I believe in the many children in our projects. You inspired me to never give up, to keep moving forward, and as a result, we created one of the most impactful organisations on the African continent. So at the end of my story, the only words I can really say are “thank you” and I hope you get to come to South Africa one day, and see this incredible work yourself. The best is yet to come, and when you are ready to see it, we will be waiting to share it.
I love you guys. Stay safe, stay strong, and stay you.
The best is yet to come.
With love,
Jess and the entire Justice Desk team.
#bts #shorts #MYBTSSTORY #LOVEYOURSELF and #SPEAKYOURSELF
#남아공 #나아공사람 #southafrica #BTSsouthafrica
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