We help to create real change in our society, for good
For survivors to heal well and for us to collectively end sexual violence, many things in our society need to change. Alongside our direct support for those impacted by sexual violence, HELP contributes to delivering tangible, long-term change by…
- Helping families and preschools learn how to keep children safe and to respond well if sexual abuse has occurred.
- Supporting young women to help each other when a friend is sexually assaulted, and to become change-makers in their own communities.
- Advocating for the rights of sexual abuse survivors.
- Exploring ways to improve processes and outcomes for those who seek justice from the person who hurt them.
Safer communities. Better outcomes
Through our own programmes and through collaboration with others, we work to develop innovative paths towards change, including:
We Can Keep Safe – a programme for preschools
HELP works with preschool communities and their families through our We Can Keep Safe programme, to assist them to provide safe environments with consistent messages to those who care for their children about how to do this.
Since 1995, over 17,000 children and their families have benefited from this life-changing programme and HELP is seeking support and sponsorship so we can deliver the programme to more preschools in low-income communities. Read more.
Dear Em – a website for young women
Dear Em is a website and social media campaign created by HELP to reduce the hurt and on-going harm caused by the sexual abuse of young women. Dear Em provides a safe space for young women to have a voice, to find ways to be stronger and more confident, to recognise sexual violence, and to learn to support one another.
Through the values of ‘empathise, empower and embrace’, girls share real talk to get through the good times and the bad, together. Read more
Safe at school – helping survivors stay in school
Many young people are sexually abused or assaulted by someone in their school community. Understandably, it can be really hard to keep going to school and having to be around the person who hurt you. This gets in the way of healing, and makes it hard to concentrate, be creative and learn.
To not have to face this on a daily basis, many young people end up missing or leaving school. We believe we need to find a better way for survivors to feel safe at school, so we’re working in collaboration with some local high schools and young people to do this. To find out more, please email executivedirector@helpauckland.org.nz
He Ara Hou, He Ara Mana – working towards safe, effective and restorative justice
This is a collaborative project with Korowai Tumanako, as both agencies believe that our laws and criminal justice system need to change for survivors to have a better experience of justice and to end sexual violence.
The project seeks improvements to consent law to align with societal expectations that sexual consent is a ‘yes’ rather than the absence of a ‘no’ (commonly called ‘affirmative consent’).
To get involved with social change
- Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to join our campaigns
- Check out national strategy Te Aorerekura and let Te Puna Aonui or Minister for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence know what you think
- Feedback to Police about your experience of reporting sexual abuse or assault, or what stopped you reporting to them
- Join an activist network like Dear Em, or, if you are at uni, Thursdays in Black