Shakti Education Training & Advisory Company (SETAC) was founded as an education and training branch under Shakti Community Council Inc (SCC), a non-for-profit, community organisation that specialises in the delivery of culturally appropriate crisis intervention and prevention services to women and children affected by domestic/family violence.
Started by ethnic women, for other ethnic women and their families, Shakti has operated for the last 20 years, yielding successful outcomes across the Asian, Middle Eastern and African communities.
Through service delivery, it was found over 80% of the survivors are state beneficiaries with little hope of becoming self-reliant, due to the barriers faced as ethnic migrants/refugees, exacerbated by experiences of prolonged abuse.
Consultation with victim-survivors showed that many of them are genuinely keen to up-skill, find employment and become self-reliant, but are not sure if they have the necessary aptitude, confidence or skills for employment in New Zealand. These factors emerged as major deterrents in the rehabilitation process.
As a NZQA accredited PTE, SETAC delivers free educational, vocational and life skills programme to victim-survivors, supporting learners to foster wellbeing and facilitate empowerment, achieving self-sufficiency in the pursuit of lives free from fear and violence.
Operating on a unique model, SETAC and the programme recognises the importance of holistic wellbeing and empowerment on achieving learning outcomes. The training programme is heavily based on practical and interactive methods for dynamic and effective teaching. SETAC has been recognised for its new method of engaging high-need learners, earning it the Innovative Provider Award from Adult Learner’s Week Network/He Tangata Matauranga.
SETAC and the Second Chance Programme were established:
• To prevent short and long-term dependency of disadvantaged and vulnerable ethnic women;
• To empower ethnic women to becoming confident, skilled and self-reliant, reducing poverty;
• To facilitate greater integration of ethnic women and their children within the wider communities, counteract social issues arising out of isolation
• To promote inter-generational wellbeing of ethnic families
