Gender-based violence survivor Dipuo Ranamane-May was inspired by her late husband to start a social club that mainly focuses on helping the community, especially the elderly. 

That was in 2009, five years after she escaped death following an attack allegedly in the hands of her previous partner in Hammanskraal, Tshwane. 

Today, Dipuo Difedile Club Care, which was formally established in 2011 in Soweto, offers the elderly a platform to talk openly about various issues, gives them skills in sewing, gets them to exercise to keep healthy and a grocery stokvel. 

“I stayed in an abusive relationship for a long time, never sought help and had no one to talk to. I woke up one day when my partner and I had not had a fight and decided to leave him. 

“I packed my stuff, took my children and we left,” says Ranamane-May. 

She says she took the children to her mother and rented a shack on her own and that’s when her ex-partner came into her home and attacked her, leaving her for dead.

Ranamane-May says she spent four months in hospital in 2004 and what hurt her was that people in the community gossiped about her, especially women.

“I needed someone I could talk to but all I got was judgment… I healed – emotionally and physically – and in 2009, I met a caring man with a big heart who also cared about the elderly and would tell me about their problems.

“He encouraged and supported me to start the social club which gives members a platform to talk openly about their problems. Not only that, I also work with social workers and refer cases to them,” said Ranamane-May.

“Starting this social club and being able to help other women has helped me heal. Talking about whatever challenges we go through helps as bottling things up will only cause one depression. The elderly go through so much and this social club helps them with their problems.”

Dipuo Difedile has two branches – in Orlando West and Mzimhlophe Women’s Hostel.

Members meet twice a week – on Wednesday and Friday.

“We get together from 9am until 1pm. We exercise, sew, pray and share what challenges or good things we encountered since the last time we met and give each other advice.”

Ranamane-May says to ensure that members of the stokvel have food in December, they expanded the social club a few years ago to allow them to save money for that.

While the social club has several members, only 35 are part of the grocery stokvel due to affordability.

“We make R100 monthly contributions towards buying groceries in December. To ensure that everyone has saved R1,200 towards that, all members contribute R200 in November.

“In December we then buy groceries and share equally among ourselves. This goes a long way in ensuring that families have food during the holidays, a time when many people spend a lot of time at home,” says Ranamane-May.

mashabas@sowetan.co.za