Women’s Covid group gives psychosocial help

On 16 June, as the country was celebrating a bitter sweet Youth Day from the confines of the their homes and regulation-cleared workspaces, Eastern Cape local government employee Nontozamo Xozwa started a small support group comprising of Facebook friends who were affected or infected by Covid-19.

It wasn’t long before the group ballooned into over 80 000 members from around the world, sharing knowledge and resources among people who were otherwise isolated and in fear of the worst.

Women’s Covid group gives psychosocial help

Testimonies of people who have pulled themselves through gruelling isolation and healing with the help of members of the support group, have since been pouring in.

Having worked as an HIV/ Aids coordinator for years in the Amathole district municipality, Xozwa is no stranger to the perils of stigma, misinformation and hopelessness in patients diagnosed with a misunderstood disease.

One of her duties is to make sure that there were operational support groups for people affected and infected with HIV.

Seeing many of her loved ones and colleagues suffer through similar battles in the unknown reality of Covid-19, she decided to start the group, not knowing how massive her impact on its target audience would eventually become.

“During the lockdown I noticed that government was giving all kinds of support for treatment and care, but there was a gap in terms of psychosocial support.

“Now we are all on lockdown, others are in isolation and quarantine. I thought let me make this platform to give people a space to share how they feel,” she said.

From doctors giving home and pharmaceutical remedies to ease pain and discomfort, to mental health practitioners giving free counsel and support to vulnerable members, this group is replete with inspirational recovery stories from people who joined with no hope of a certain future.

“I feel so good to know that I have been able to reach so many people. What I really wanted to do was to make sure that people know that they are not alone.

“Support is out there and help is out there and even if you are in isolation, don’t lose hope, stick to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation in terms of making sure you are protecting yourself and others and in the end you will actually make it.”

Call the Covid-19 Support Group, it can be reached at 082-9325-565.

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