My name is Emily Moore and I am a second year Psychology student at the University of Leeds. In Summer 2018 I will be heading over to South Africa to work with operation ‘Bobbi Bear’, an organisation dedicated to rescuing and upholding the rights of sexually abused children.

In South Africa a child is raped every three minutes, with over 750,000 children targeted as sex victims at least once by the age of 17. Consequently, the majority of these victims will contract HIV.

Despite these harrowing statistics, the justice system is largely inconsistent. Court trials are difficult to complete due to there being 11 official languages in South Africa, confusing the court system meaning often, perpetrators of the crimes walk free.

These children rely on operations, such as Bobbi Bear to assist the criminal justice system, ensuring their rights and safety. As well as providing appropriate HIV and AIDS interventions. This has proven effective with 2000 survivors of sexual abuse attending Bobbi Bears HIV clinic.

My role will be providing the victims with emotional, medical and educational support, whether that be at the police station, high court or hospitals.

The volunteer fee is costing me £2000 with 80% of this going directly to Bobbi Bear in order for them to continue their great work! The remaining funds will cover my travel costs.

Thank you so much in advance for your generosity! No matter how small, your donation means so much to me!

To keep you updated on my journey in South Africa, follow me on Instagram: @emily_lucy_sa

Emily xx

For further information regarding Bobbi Bear’s incredible work, please visit: http://bobbibear.org.za.