Local non-profit organisation teaches community members about mental health

To teach communities about the effects of mental health, Green Door women’s shelter and MDM Psychological Health and Wellness Services recently hosted an awareness campaign in Diepsloot.

Green Door provides a safe shelter and support for victims of rape, domestic violence or sexual abuse. Founder of the shelter, Brown Lekekela said some victims of gender-based violence rarely received the professional counselling they needed. “We hosted a mental health workshop and counselling in order to help members of our community get professional help,” he said.

“We also wanted to raise awareness about mental health to equip our community with the necessary knowledge about mental health.”

Executive director at MDM Psychological Health and Wellness Services, Dipuo Marotola said many people in disadvantaged communities suffered from mental illnesses in silence because of the stigma that society still had around mental health issues. She said, “Much as we are in the private sector, we also do community work and outreach programmes through which we visit different NGOs and teach people about mental health… We have realised that the reason most people struggle with mental health issues is because they don’t [speak about it].

“Sometimes this is because of the stigma that our society, especially black society, still has around mental health issues. We offer them free counselling and teach them about mental health issues.”

She added, “We hope that our visits will help to break the stigma and encourages people to seek professional help when experiencing mental health issues. To also let people know that it is okay not to be okay and that they are not alone in this war.”