In the face of unimaginable horror, Alison Botha made an extraordinary choice—to survive. Her story of resilience sparked a movement that empowers others to do the same.
Johannesburg, South Africa (20 August 2019) – On a quiet December evening in 1994, Alison Botha’s life took a horrifying turn that none of us could ever imagine. Two men abducted her, taking her to the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, where she was subjected to unspeakable violence. They raped her, stabbed her over 30 times in the abdomen, and slit her throat from ear to ear, leaving her for dead in the bushes.
But somehow—against all odds—Alison survived. She dragged herself back to the road, clinging to life. It was there that a passing car found her, barely alive. She wasn’t just a victim; she was a warrior who chose to live.
This moment, when Alison got up and decided that her story wasn’t going to end in those bushes, is where Woman INpowered (WIP) really started. The idea took shape in 2000 when Mark Grobbelaar wrote his thesis on her experience, and it became his full-time mission in 2012.
WIP is a simple, yet incredibly effective self-INpowerment system, designed to give women (and now men too) the ability to make a choice in the face of danger. It’s about more than just physical defence; it’s about empowering yourself with the confidence to act.
I had the chance to sit down with Mark to chat about Alison’s incredible story, the WIP programme, and how it even helped save the life of Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, South Africa’s very own Miss Universe.
You can listen to the full conversation here:
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