In the first episode of Voices of Change, Heidi opens a space shaped by honesty, courage, and the quiet truths that so many women carry alone. She begins by acknowledging her own experience of gender-based violence, grounding the series not in statistics, but in lived reality. Behind every number is someone who never thought they would have to tell their story.
Heidi then reads a deeply personal letter from a woman she works with, someone who has held her trauma in silence for years. The letter traces a journey from grief to vulnerability, from hope in a new relationship to the moment when “no” was ignored and the body froze in shock. Her words echo the experiences of millions of survivors who question themselves, who fear being blamed, and who struggle to reclaim their own narrative.
Through the telling of this story, Heidi reminds listeners that there is no right time to speak, no correct way to survive, and no shame in freezing. She honours the courage of the woman who trusted her with these truths, and sets the tone for the series; a place for compassion, dignity, and honest conversations.
This episode is a quiet step toward breaking the silence, one truth at a time.
• National GBV Command Centre | gbv.org.za
Emergency Line: CALL NOW 0800 428 428
Please Call Me: *120*7867# [supported by a USSD]
For members of the deaf community: Skype address- HelpmeGbv
For persons with disability: SMS ‘help’ to 31531
• SAPS Emergency Line | saps.gov.za
10111.
112 from a cellphone
08600 10111 for the Crime Stop line
• Thuthuzela Care Centres | https://www.gov.za/TCC
• Lifeline | lifelinesa.co.za
info@lifeline.co.za
011 715 2000
0800 012 322
0861 322 322
• Tears Foundation | tears.co.za
Helpline: 08000 tears / 08000 83277
Support locator: *134*7355#
Email: info@tears.co.za
• POWA | powa.co.za/contact/
