The Sunflower Fund hosted a fundraising event at the Constantia home of Jen Beatty last week.
The guest speaker was Grizelda Grootboom of Khayelitsha who gave an account of how she became a victim of human trafficking.
Ms Grootboom was abducted, raped, and forced into prostitution and drugs.
At the age of 25, suicidal, she found her way to Home of Hope.
But this was not to be the end of her story.
Ms Grootboom spends her time giving talks at schools, detailing the warning signs of what is basically modern day slavery. She is also author of Exit, published in 2015 by Jacana.
Ms Grootboom represented South Africa this year at the annual Human Trafficking Conference.
About 50 women attended the fundraising event where items auctioned ranged from artworks by local talent to wine. There were also stalls where you could buy bubbly and gin, designer label clothes, ceramics and other goods.
Annalize Buchanan served amazing food and there were lucky draw prizes and recognition for the best dressed woman.
The Sunflower Fund is a non-profit organisation that creates awareness around the need for blood stem cell donors and how to register as a
donor.
Funds raised from the event go to cover the tissue typing costs involved in adding donors onto the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR). The Sunflower Fund is also actively involved in creating a platform for support structures to assist patients, their families and communities.
For more information about the Sunflower Fund call 021 701 0661 or visit www.sunflowerfund.org.za. Contact Grizelda Grootboom through www.embracedignity.co.za