Hello hi, I’m back. In preparation for my short offline break, I realised that I wanted to do a Women’s Month series on this site. This August, I wanted to talk to women trying to support marginalised communities, building safer spaces in their industry and creating work that feels representative and personal.
In Conversations with is an ongoing series on my blog and will continue to be a space where I can engage and connect with like-minded people about the work they’re doing.
Anyways, I had a chat with Kirsty Davids, a friend/former colleague, who started giving back to the community through the first hard lockdown in 2020. She shares the journey to starting this joint project and how a small idea can grow to so much more.
KARE for Women is a non-profit organisation co-founded by Kirsty Davids and Rebecca Henry
What prompted you to start KARE for Women?
From a young age, I had always been passionate about equality for women. I’d wanted to be involved in initiatives that helped better the world for us all.
As I got older, the discrimination and violence against women was so glaringly obvious.
I wanted to find a way to raise awareness around gender-based violence in South Africa. During the 2020 hard lockdown, my co-founder and I noticed how domestic violence cases were rising at alarming rates.
We decided that we had to help however we could and started brainstorming some ideas and how we can support and make an actual difference.
We started with our “KARE Package Drive” and the initiative took off from there. Eventually, we started an Instagram account so we could reach a variety of audiences. We were so surprised when we were successful in providing packages for not one, but two women’s shelters.
Kirsty Davids
How would you describe the work you’re doing and what are you hoping to create with KARE?
So far, we’ve had two successful KARE drives! We collected donations and provided a total of 3 women and children’s shelters with care packages. These contain essentials like toothbrushes, face cloths and other sanitary items.
On our social platforms, we’re dedicated to engaging with our audience and beyond. We want to provide insightful content around mental health, discrimination towards marginalised communities and educate others about GBV and what they can do to help.
We are hoping to expand to create a space where women and children feel protected and heard. We want people to look to us for ways to help.
You have a background in design. How has colour and design impacted the visual aesthetic of KARE?
If you take a look at our Instagram posts, I aim to design content where you don’t feel bombarded by information by using bold typography with subtle colours. This is to cater to everyone, but especially those with visual difficulties. For KARE’s visual identity, we chose a neutral palette with touches of bold colour that portrays our method – being bold in our own way yet true to ourselves.
Who inspires you right now and why?
We’re lucky to engage with a host of awesome initiatives who inspire us in so many ways. Have a look at @womenforchangesa, @sawomenfb, @langaformen, @girlsagainstoppression, @post2parliament, and many many more!
Where can people find your work and are there any upcoming projects in the pipeline?
Our page on Instagram is the main place to find us! @kareforwomen
We are currently planning new initiatives so keep an eye on our socials for upcoming events and drives very soon!
I hope this article was helpful and be sure to check out KARE on social media for more updates!
x A
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