Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh recently saw how money raised from this year’s Comic Relief Red Nose Day, some of which was matched by the UK Government, is already changing lives across Africa.
One in three women and girls around the world has been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime. Kimberley went to a project called MIFUMI that is supported by money raised through Red Nose Day to help end domestic violence and turn women and girls lives around.
There she met a group of inspirational women who have been supported through a mix of counseling, healthcare, legal support and small loans to start businesses so that they can escape violent relationships, protect their children and support themselves financially.
She said: "Being in a safe and happy relationship I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in fear of your partner. Hearing how common domestic violence really is was shocking, so it’s brilliant to see how cash raised from this year’s campaign is helping to end this abuse.
“I met some amazing women, who thanks to the project have found the strength to leave violent relationships, become financially independent and lift themselves out of poverty. They now have enough money to send their kids to school so that they can get good jobs in the future, making a difference for generations to come.”
Kimberley, who is a long term supporter of Red Nose Day, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009 and recording the Red Nose Day single with Girls Aloud and the Sugababes in 2007, also saw how the project runs karate clubs in schools that promote equal rights and aims to stop domestic violence before it starts.
