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Today on Backchat we spoke to Mlinde Kulashe. Mlinde is a 17-year-old ballet dancer from Nyanga who has received a scholarship to continue his ballet studies. This vibrant teenager is a wonderful example of someone who is determined and a hard-worker. Under the direction of Keith Mackintosh, Mlinde began his training with the Cape Town City Ballet’s Male Development Programmme in 1999. Mlinde has entered each and every year for the Royal Academy of Dance’s external exams. Last year he achieved and 80% distinction in Advanced 1. This made him eligible to travel to Johannesburg this year. This is one teen who has achieved a lot at such a young age. He was the first boy to be chosen to join the Cape Junior Ballet in 2005! The 17-year-old was awarded a scholarship which will fund his final year of training in 2009. Mlinde recently entered the final Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) exam, Advanced 2, the results of which we still await. If he passes this with Distinction he will be able to enter for the highest possible test of the RAD, the Solo Seal Award, the only exam at which an audience is allowed to attend. So best wishes to Mlinde!

We were joined on the line by Marieta De Vos from Mosaic Training, Service and Healing Centre for Women. Mosaic aims to help abused women putting together the pieces of their broken lives to become whole. Mosaic’s aim is to prevent and reduce domestic violence in the country. The organisation delivers a wide range of services for women caught up in gender violence and in more recent years because of the correlation, to those infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. For more information you may visit http://www.mosaic.org.za/ or call 021 761 7585.

We also spoke to Dr. Chunga from the Thuthuzela Rape Care Centre. Thuthuzela is a centre for all of those who have fallen victim to the crime of rape.
The Thuthuzela Rape Care Center (TRCC) is a multi-disciplinary initiative by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, South African Police Services, the Health Department and the National Prosecution Authority. The service rendered by the project begins at the time the rape victim reports the case at one of the three participating police stations, namely; Guguletu, Khayelitsha and Mannenberg an follows through to finalisation of the case in court, while including counseling and support for the survivor. The centre is based in Mannenberg. The number for the centre is 021 690 1031 or 021 690 1011.