Breaking the stigma of mental health within Soweto Community

Different stakeholders and community members got the assistance of Dr. Fikile Mnisi held ‘breaking the stigma of mental health illness’ event on World Mental Health Day on Sunday, 10 October. 

This event came after mentally ill Mama Jostina Sangweni, a traditional healer (sangoma)  who was allegedly assaulted  before being set alight by members of the Mapetla community in March this year. She unfortunately passed away few days later due to her severe injuries she suffered.

 

The aim of the event was based on a mental health program to guide people about how to deal with such situations and the main agenda was to say no to a stigma and discrimination against people with mental health issues such as schizophrenia, dementia and other illness affecting the brain

 

Residents, Sangweni family and many other stakeholders embarked on a 6.2km walk which started in Phiri and ended at the Emndeni bus terminal. 

 

The day was honored by the  presence of  members from  Crazy for Walking, Vista Clinic, SAPS representatives, Zola Clinic representatives, CPFs , Captain Lebogang Mdaka and UJ’s HOD of the Psychology Department .

 

After the walk, the residents engaged on education on ways of how to identify and deal with a person suffering from any form of mental illness.  Dr Masuku explained that most people who live with mental illness have, at some point, been blamed for their condition, and have been called names.

 

Captain Lebogang Mdaka, who has suffered from mental issues addressed residents on how to deal with people who have been diagnosed to not be mentally fit. “I am a 35-year-old who started flying at 17, at 25 my life fell apart and I lost everything that I had worked for and acquired. On a weekend I would spend about hundred and fifty thousand on alcohol because of mental health, but because of the support structure I had, I survived and bounced back, I am alive today because I want people to learn about what mental health is” explained Mdaka.

 

During the votes of , Dr Mnisi emphasized on the issue of enabling residents and empowering them to an extent of knowing on how to take care of their mental health and seek for help.  “I have a family member who is suffering from mental health, and after what happened to Mama Sangweni I saw a need to stand against human rights that are being violated in people living with mental conditions, we need to bring back the values of Ubuntu within our communities and build back the morality that we have lost. We need to be able to find a way to care for each other before we lose each other and our humility,” she ended

Photos: Supplied