North Durban Lions Club gives back with meal
The event, which was sponsored by The Lions Club, saw attendees being treated to lunch and presents to evoke the Christmas spirit.
CHRISTMAS came early for mentally disabled patients who were treated to a Christmas party at the Durban North Centre recently.
The event, which was sponsored by The Lions Club, saw attendees being treated to lunch and presents to evoke the Christmas spirit.
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Speaking to Northglen News, CEO of Durban and Coastal Mental Health Mbonisi Sibisi stressed the importance of the community coming together to improve the lives of mentally disabled patients. He said he was grateful for the party as he believes mental disability patients should not be sidelined but instead should be treated like people suffering from any other illness.
“I wanted to make an impact on mental disability issues. Mental health is a very underplayed sector in South Africa and the world. These people have nothing, and most of them cannot work normal jobs or go to normal schools. I want to put mental disability in a position where it is treated like any other disease. Why do we treat mental disabilities differently from other diseases?
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“For me, it was a challenge that I wanted to undertake. One of the challenges at the forefront is under-funding because running these centres requires a lot of investment as operational costs are high. We are working with very vulnerable people, and we appreciate any kind of assistance, be it coming to help with teaching or just spending time with them – they get very excited when they see a new face. I would like to urge the community to get in contact with us and see where they can assist our organisation. These people are part of us, they need us, and it falls upon us to make their lives better,” said Sibisi.
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