Hester Green – working for seat in heaven

Over the weekned I became engaged in a robust and at times heated internet forum discussion about the merits or otherwise of South Africa hosting the Soccer World Cup. I intend to write about why I think we're all being taken for a ride and are burying our heads in the sand in a later posting but was struck by a point made by one of the contributors. He said he is sure God is really to be found, not in the Jacob Zumas, Julius Malemas or Sepp Blatters of the world but rather in ordinary people few of us will ever hear about.
It was a profound statement that increasingly made sense the more I thought about it.
Coincidently, just last week I met one such person in Toekomsrus, a predominantly coloured area in Randfontein. I thought I'd share her story. She is a nominee in the Randfontein Publicity Association's "We Salute You" campaign.

Toekomsrus resident, Hester Green (59) is working for a place in heaven.
Every year the former teacher, mother of three and founder of Women Against Women Abuse (WAWA) helps around 3 000 desperate people save their families and marriages -- and she has done so for the past 11 years, with very little financial support.
Born and raised in the Eastern Cape, she came to Randfontein in 1977 where she worked as a teacher at the Toekomsrus Primary School. In 1998 she was medically boarded and has since lived on the modest pension she receives.
“I soon saw the effects of alcohol in my community and how it led to the abuse of women and children,” she says.
“I saw the impact it had on the kids at school and their families and knew I had to do something.”
At her own expense, she signed up and went for training with a number of counselling organisations.
“Once I had the training I needed, I opened my home in Arrie Street to women in need,” she says.

People came

She spoke to groups of women at the library, visited churches and schools and spread the message and, as the word got, out people came.
Little did she know what she’d let herself in for.
“They came at any time of the day or night,” Green says. “It was a huge adjustment for my family and, without them, I could never have done it.
“On occasions, just as we sat down together for a family meal or to watch television, there’d be a woman running and screaming for my help in the front yard.
“That meant the family had to retreat to their bedrooms so I could counsel and comfort the scared woman. It was very difficult for them but they stood by me through it all.”
And all the time more and more people came.
“In 2002 WAWA had to find other premises,” she says. “My furniture was broken and worn out from all the traffic in my home. I couldn’t use many of my dining-room chairs – I still can’t.
“I knew there was a disused building at the back of the Toekomsrus police station and approached the station commander who gave us permission to use it.
“We moved in with two chairs. There were no tables, filing cabinets or anything -- just those two chairs.”
But that was not going to stop Hester and her small team of volunteers.
“Although we got absolutely no financial assistance at all, we somehow, with God’s help, kept the work going.”

Jackie Selebi

Later that year, the then Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi visited the station and asked how he could help.
“He organised furniture, cupboards and beds that allowed us to set up a shelter,” Green says.
It’s been a long hard road.
“Men in particular were suspicious,” says Green. “They thought we would automatically take the woman’s side and get them thrown in jail.
“But that is the last thing we want. We believe in rehabilitation and keeping families together where ever possible. Our approach is to get the woman and children out of immediate danger and to allow the situation to calm.
“Then we work on getting the family members together to talk, work through their problems and find lasting solutions. We are there to save relationships and marriages, not break them up.”
Although based in Toekomsrus, WAWA serves all communities of Randfontein and the current economic downturn has seen dramatically increased demand for their services.
“Many men find it difficult to come to terms with the fact they are no longer able to provide for their families,” Green says, “and their frustration and anger easily boils over.”
Nowadays WAWA receives a small stipend from government but it is not nearly enough to meet expenses.
Green’s own husband and children are out of work. Her dining-room chairs are still broken and she has to find ways to stretch her meagre pension even further. There are attempts by some political factions to hijack the project she started more than ten years ago.
But in the face of this, the ex-teacher from Toekies, simply sighs and shrugs her shoulders.
“You’ve got to have hair on your teeth to do this work,” she says.
“At least I can still help someone and maybe God will have a nice velvet chair for me to sit on at his dining-room table in heaven!”