The Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CADV) is calling on people to support its goal of reducing domestic violence, increasing its awareness, and stepping up in the name of peace.
The call was made during the NGO’s third annual “Savannah Lap” event on Sunday.
According to the General Manager of the CADV, Sabrina Mowlah-Baksh, although their movement is growing, she is still calling on members of the community to step up against domestic violence.
She said that on many occasions, community members are aware of the perpetrators, yet they remain silent.
“In the first year, we started with 200 people. The second year, we went up to 400, and now in our third year, we are close to 500. So, we are growing, and it means that the campaign has been a success and it’s growing but we need more. We need more than to assemble at Queen’s Park Savannah to walk and run. We need people to say: ‘I am going to be a part of the solution. I want to be a part of the support system.'”
She indicated that it is important that persons affected by domestic violence receive a wide range of support from their community, corporate entities, and faith-based organisations.
“So, we need a range of support from a range of stakeholders, each knowing for themselves what they can advise people to do and what steps they can take, and what resources they can access, including what we do at the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the range of support. Also, we need to send out the call to partner with government and the government sector. So, it’s an all-round contribution from all stakeholders involved.”
According to long-distance runner Susannah Joefield, although she wished the crowd was even bigger at this year’s event, she still had to come out and offer her full support to the call to stop domestic violence.
“We have to take care of each other. We can’t see that our womenfolk are getting killed all the time. So, I come with a full heart towards this initiative.”