A few words About
Graces Place
History
“In Nigeria, acts of violence against women cut across the religion, social class and ethnic groups.
Despite the progress made by Nigeria’s government, approximately eighty million women and girls are still victims of gender-based violence.
The NDHS 2013 and MICS 2016 show that 28% of women experienced physical abuse, 7% sexual abuse, 62.6% of girls in child marriage and 25.6% of women genital mutilation (FGM) (Spotlight Initiative)
35% of women in Nigeria have experienced gender-based violence. In other words, one in every three Nigerian women has suffered physical and or sexual violence. A 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey records that 31% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have experienced physical violence, while 9% have experienced sexual violence. According to Dataphyte.com, in a report by Paul Adeyeye, contributing factors to domestic violence include social norms, economic stress, family relations, patriarchal beliefs and targeted assertions against female autonomy.
We believe Christians should be on the front line in the war against domestic violence. Domestic violence is a form of oppression which the Bible is against. Jesus Christ came explicitly to set the oppressed free from the bondage of domestic violence. Hebrews 13:3 (b) says we are to remember those who are mistreated, and so we set up Grace’s Place as a refuge for female victims of domestic violence.
We chose our level of intervention carefully and decided to provide shelter, Christian counselling, (group) therapy, trauma care and mediation for survivors of domestic violence under Grace’s Place. We are trained to understand the fallout and complexity of domestic violence and apply a Biblical framework to our intervention.
The Shelter was founded in 2015 and is registered with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) and the Lagos State Woman and Poverty Alleviation Ministry. In September 2023, we were awarded a certificate of recognition for our commitment to eradicating sexual and gender-based violence by the Lagos State DSVA via the Governor’s Award.
We provide Shelter for women who have had to escape from an abusive environment and need shelter for an average period of 1 night – 6 months. During their stay at the Shelter, the survivor is open to sessions with our clinical psychologist, Christian counselling, group therapy and creative therapy. A home away from home where the women are encouraged to continue with routine domestic chores. Ours is an open shelter, and women are encouraged to continue their regular work (education, paid employment or business) if their lives are not in danger.
We also collaborate with other NGOs for empowerment if the need arises, and so far, we have been greatly encouraged by contributions from NGOs designed for this purpose.
CORE BELIEFS
- We believe that the church has a critical role in these times. We believe that the church should take the lead in social change.
- We believe that the Bible is the only infallible Word of God and that there is one God, eternally existent as the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious death and His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of God the Father and His return to glory.
- We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, His gifts and the spiritual union of all believers in our Lord.
