Sev Necati worked in
partnership with Wembley Futures and Big Lottery, to deliver our award winning project
“Women & Young People’s Safety Solution.”
Our course
specifically designed for women and girls in personal safety and self-defence was
empowering and helped the group become more confident as well as improve their
overall well-being. The course was all inclusion of local residents and we had
young girls aged thirteen attending as well as women aged up to seventeen. The course brought all members of the
community together regardless of the age, ability or background, so they could
feel inspired.
The
course provided a holistic approach to the training and this meant they were
able to take part in something realistic for the 21st Century.
The course meant that
women and girls felt less isolated and vulnerable, as well having an
understanding of how not to become repeat victims or victims to crime in the
first instance.
Participants
said how they now feel safer in their local community and how they are
encouraged to make daily sport and exercise part of their regime.
The group took part in self-defence activities each week, which meant
that their stamina, strength, physical, mental health and overall fitness
levels improved.
Our projects not only increase the confidence and self-worth
of those that engage, more importantly they empower and inspire women and girls,
to positively grow in their lives!
The
Participant - Case Study - One
Jani, 22 years old, African Somali, single no
children.
Please
tell us why you became involved in the project/activities?
I became involved in the course because I was
not confident in my ability to defend myself if anything happened to me when I
am outside on the street.
A few years ago when I was in 6th
form I was being followed by some guy that was trying to get my number, he kept
hassling me however I brushed him off and he just disappeared. Then one night I was on the phone about 11pm
at night and I went through a short alley way as I went through it he was
there, he grabbed my arm and we got into a confrontation, shouting, I was very
scared. Once you come out of the alley
way there is a car park which is normally quiet that time of night. He was trying to get me to the car park by
dragging my arm and I realised I wasn’t strong enough to get him off. There was a lady in Argos and she was
shutting up shop and she heard what was happening and she came over to help me.
Apart from understanding that I couldn’t
defend myself against a grown man, it affected my day to day life, my social
life it stood still, I just wanted to stay in all the time and not go out, it
knocked my confidence and made me very paranoid.
Please
tell us how participating has helped you?
The sessions have helped me learn techniques
that I could use if I ever got into a similar situation again. When you were teaching us how to get out of
holds etc. I was comparing what I had learned with what happened and understood
how I could get away and it has made me much more confident.
The techniques were very beneficial. Also the victims support presentation has
helped me and I am preaching about them to anyone I know. Personally I thought you had to go to the
police however you can go straight to them, which is very helpful to know. I am telling everyone as they are not
comfortable about reporting it, so this course has widened my knowledge.
Please
tell us what has changed for you as a result of engaging with the project?
What has changed for me is my mind-set I feel
more confident, comfortable at any point of that day and night my ability to
defend myself and my paranoia and fear has completing gone.
I use to spend a lot of money on cabs and
being on the phone to someone to feel safe but I don’t do that no-more I have
lost my fears.
I am starting a job with Metropolitan Police
helping them recruit and I am looking at jobs where I can help others which I
found very inspiring after completing your course.
Some of the Females
Comments
“I
liked learning the different techniques and types of situations to defend
myself.”
“I
love Sev’s personality, knowledge and everything she taught.”
“I
loved this course.”
“This
training boosted my self-confidence and made me understand the power I have to
protect myself.”
“The
techniques used, explanations given were very useful.”
“Sev
was very motivating and knew your individual limits and what everyone was
capable of.”
“The
whole group was very inter-active / positive and enthusiastic.”
“Building
on my confidence as well as my fitness.”
“This
course was worth it. I have learnt a
lot.”
“Learning
all different techniques was very beneficial and has given me more power and
confidence in myself.”
“Very
useful, I have definitely gained a lot more confidence when approaching others,
if need be.”
“It
was very fun and good to learn ways I can be safe now in the environment.”
“I
will recommend to friends who are interested in the course.”
“I
learned very good techniques. I learn
which help according to my age.”
“The
training gave me more confidence to walk in the night. Thanks so much!”
“Sev
ensured to answer any questions we had, and empowered us to be confident and
believe in ourselves.”
“I
think the training provided is very practical and useful in this day and age,
where in some situations, we have to defend ourselves.”
“Every
woman, should be offered this opportunity, and not rely on others to protect
herself.”
“I
would definitely recommend your course to anyone that has self-confident and
self-esteem issues as it’s not just about self-defence. It’s about personal development and it
boosters your confidence when you are out and about.”
“My
stamina has increased and I have now focused on exercising at home and I am
also going to the gym.”
“It
has been very empowering the whole course.
Thank you!”
The
Participant - Case Study - Two
Beji, 48 years old, Indian, married with one
child.
Please
tell us why you became involved in the project/activities?
I became involved in the course because I
have a little baby, a 2 year old and I do go out with him with the buggy and I
thought in this day and age it’s better to be safer and be able to defend
yourself when out and about. I also
thought it would be good to get fitter as I am currently on maternity leave and
wasn’t getting much exercise.
25 years ago my whole family were kidnapped
at gun point back home, fortunately we escaped and not physically harmed. However if I go back to my home country it is
better if I can take care of myself it is safer, as security is a big issue
there. I cannot go out in the day or
night there, its 24 7 there. At night I
cannot take the car out on my own it’s too dangerous. I wouldn’t feel safe. In the day it’s difficult to walk around,
only if you are driving might you be safe, it’s impossible in the night. If I went out in the day I would have to have
no valuables on me at all. So safety is
a main concern back home.
I am going back in a couple of month’s-time
so I will require an escort.
Kidnapping is a huge problem there, burglary
and life threats to rob are normally done with a weapon and it’s an everyday
thing. So I always felt I should have
done this a long time ago.
In the 17 years I have lived here my brother
who lives there has been robbed a couple of times at gun point, in Kenya, in
his shop. So was my mum when she use to
run the shop.
During the elections back then we did a
neighbourhood watch scheme with the local police to protect the local
community, which kept us safe at that time and patrolled the area. However women were not allowed to be on the
street only in the control room and men were on the street, they were getting
shot at.
Please
tell us how participating has helped you?
The sessions have helped me boost my
confidence, made me realise that I am not fit and that I have to get
fitter. It has given me an awareness
that you have to be aware of your surroundings to stay safe, whether you in
this country or aboard, it’s so important, in some aspects / scenarios your
perspective changes, you don’t take things for granted. I have a confidence boost and awareness that
has really helped me.
Please
tell us what has changed for you as a result of engaging with the project?
What has changed for me is that it has made
me stronger physically and mentally because I know somehow what I can do and
can’t do. I have been talking to people
about the 10 weeks I did with you and talking to people about what we learnt on
the course like the awareness, confidence building, relationships and how they
affect you. It has given be a different
insight and made me stronger. Being
small with my height was an inferior of mine and it’s not so bad now. Self-awareness of myself I have developed in
so many ways.
I become more aware of myself and what I am
capable of.
It was a very useful and helpful and the
whole group was excellent and you were brilliant. I was pushed to my limits however that
confidence pushed me through as an instructor and doing this for 10 weeks you
also came a friend that we could talk to you openly about anything. I really happy that I did join the
group. I would recommend the course and
I hope to get this into my community.
All names
of participants have been changed to protect their identity.
If you are looking for sessions, courses, workshops, projects and
programmes that are both engaging, interactive and fun, but also informative
and educational then please contact us at:
info@sevnecatitraining.com
If you think that you would like to get involved in our projects then
please get in contact. Our aim is to
reduce violence and the fear of violence especially towards females and young
people and we do this by delivering empowering and inspiring projects to the
local community. Please contact us: info@sevnecatitraining.com
