With funding from the federal government, a Winnipeg-based safe space for sexually exploited women and girls hopes to increase its impact.
According to Ottawa, approximately $7 million will be used to offset Velma’s House’s running expenses.
Patty Hajdu, the federal minister of Indigenous Services, says the money should allow the organization to increase capacity and deliver culturally appropriate programs.
A portion of the funds will also be used to buy a new structure so the organisation can accommodate more people for ceremonies, counselling sessions, and meals.
The home’s current location could not accommodate it when it first opened in the spring of 2021.
Dodie Jordaan, executive director of Ka Ni Kanichihk, which oversees Velma’s House, says the new location is expected to open by the end of the year.
“The area was extremely constrained.
She recalled on Monday that “so many women were sleeping on the porch and lying in the grass, waiting to take turns to come in.
It was essential that we locate a larger area that was also considerably more welcoming and capable of serving the requirements of the nearby women. ”
The staff claimed that it was the only low-barrier location in Winnipeg that provided assistance to victims of sexual exploitation.
Governments were urged by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls to support community-based and Indigenous-focused health and wellness programmes.
According to Hajdu, the federal government’s plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people includes funding donated to Velma’s House.
“The job that (Ka Ni Kanichihk) does is essential to a community; it goes beyond being pleasant to have.
This is the cornerstone of a community, she added, where people feel like they have somewhere to turn to when horrible things occur.
Up to 2026, $4 million will be allocated to running expenses.
According to Jordaan, the financing should enable the facility to run continuously and to supply resources for up to 60 individuals at once. Up to 10 individuals might be present at once in the former location.
With fresh finances, Winnipeg Safe Space is able to provide more services for Indigenous women and girls.
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