Built by survivors.
For survivors.
Free legal guidance, free counselling, free peer support. Built around survivor needs, never around money.
What we exist to do.
At Rise Against Domestic Violence SA, our mission is to provide free, accessible support to survivors through online services including legal guidance, volunteer one to one sessions, and peer support groups.
We create safe spaces where survivors access the resources they need to heal, rebuild, and reclaim their lives, regardless of gender, background, or financial circumstances.
Five values that shape everything.
Every conversation. Every session. Every survivor we walk with.
We listen first.
We listen with compassion and stand with survivors on their journey toward healing and empowerment. No judgement. No rush. No script.
All survivors. No exceptions.
We support all individuals regardless of gender, orientation, or background. Every survivor walks into a safe and welcoming space when they walk into Rise.
Transparency, always.
We uphold transparency, accountability, and strong ethics across every service and every conversation. Survivors deserve to know exactly who is helping them and why.
A brighter future is reachable.
We encourage strength and perseverance, knowing that a brighter future is always within reach, even when the present feels impossible.
The tools to rebuild.
We provide survivors with the tools, resources, and confidence needed to rebuild their lives on their terms, in their own time.
Three pillars of survivor support.
Legal guidance, peer support groups, and counselling. All free. All online. All built around survivors.
Legal Advice and Support
Accurate, compassionate legal guidance for survivors who do not have legal representation.
Legal Advice and Support
We are committed to offering accurate, compassionate legal advice to individuals who do not have legal representation. We do not represent survivors in court, and we respect all professional boundaries by not intervening if you already have a lawyer.
Our services focus on assisting survivors who have no access to legal advice elsewhere. We provide guidance and support across:
• Divorce matters
• Domestic violence and GBV cases
• Protection orders
• Criminal matters, including assault
• Assistance with SAPS cases
Support Groups and Information Access
Dedicated WhatsApp support groups for survivors seeking legal guidance and peer connection.
Support Groups and Information Access
We facilitate dedicated support groups via WhatsApp for survivors seeking legal guidance, as well as groups specifically for women and men.
Through these groups, survivors gain direct access to practical information, real resources, and a community of people who understand without needing the full story explained.
Connection without judgement. Information without barriers.
What you find inside our support groups:
• Safe spaces for women and men in separate groups
• Survivors connecting with survivors who understand
• Validation, compassion, and shared experience
• Informative posts from volunteers on coping strategies
• Practical guidance, resources, and real time support
• Moderated conversations with clear boundaries
Counselling Sessions
One to one online sessions with volunteer counsellors and interns, in partnership with trusted professionals.
Counselling Sessions
We ensure survivors have access to both outsourced and in house online volunteer one to one sessions.
In partnership with trusted professionals, we help individuals work through trauma, build coping strategies, and move forward toward recovery.
Sessions are private. Sessions are free. Sessions move at your pace.
What our counselling sessions offer:
• Trauma-informed practitioners who listen without judgement
• Fully online so you can connect from anywhere safe
• Scheduled sessions that fit around your life
• Private and confidential conversations
• No pressure to share more than you are ready to
• Healing that moves at your pace, not anyone else's
Life doesn't always go the way we planned. Sometimes it hits hard, out of nowhere, and leaves you trying to hold everything together while quietly falling apart. If that's where you are right now, you're not alone.
My name is Zenda-Lee Williams. I'm the founder of Rise Against Domestic Violence SA, but before anything else, I'm a survivor. I've lived through domestic violence, narcissistic abuse, sexual assault, and cyber abuse, including revenge pornography and hacking.
I know what it feels like when your life no longer feels like your own. I know how isolating it gets, and how hard it is to believe things will ever feel safe again.
But it can. Not overnight, not easily, but it is possible. That's why Rise exists. To remind you that there is still a way forward, even when you can't see it yet. Your story doesn't end here, no matter how heavy this moment feels.
Rise Survivor
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