Ungazibulali Awareness Campaign tackles suicide
The organisation believes that by raising public awareness, educating communities and providing everyone with the necessary skills, it can save lives.
Suicide may affect everyone, regardless of where they come from or who they are.
The Ungazibulali Awareness Campaign, an NPO, aims to help people in times of distress.
To raise awareness of suicide around the community, the Ungazibulali Awareness Campaign hosted an event in ekasi on May 21 to provide support and resources to prevent such tragedies.
This included educating community members to recognise the signs of potential suicides and to intervene to help those in need.
The NPO focuses on depression and suicide in the country, particularly in Thembisa and Ekurhuleni.
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According to the founder, Nkululeko Khanyi, their work is based on the notion that suicide is preventable and that everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention.
“It focuses on recognising the indicators of someone contemplating suicide, how to handle that scenario and how to start a conversation with a vulnerable person to get them to the services that can help them. We do not focus so much on training an individual on how to counsel someone who is suicidal.
“Talking to someone who is thinking about committing suicide is a tough but necessary step in the preventive process for those who have been trained to recognise the indicators of suicidal ideation.
“Depression can affect everyone and emotions of hopelessness aren’t usually visible, especially in children. Youngsters who are prone to mental health may act out or retreat. In some ways, pop culture has glorified suicide, with television shows either glorifying the habit or depicting suicide or self-harm as a solution,” said Khanyi.
“Bullying is a national problem that doesn’t go away when children leave school. Children who frequently do not understand the implications of their actions are more likely to bully and be bullied through social media channels at all hours of the day.
“It’s just as vital for parents to teach their children what to do if their classmates talk about suicide, self-harm or thoughts because it could save a life.
“The key to ensuring that parents can effectively support their children is to establish and maintain clear, non-judgmental lines of communication.
“Suicide is not a solution for anyone. We can prevent suicides and save lives by starting the dialogue, providing support and directing help to those who need it,” said Khanyi.
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