POLOKWANE – “Where there is a cloud, there is a silver lining,” said Julia Ntabane, the founder of Sunshine Through the Rain.
Sunshine Through the Rain is a non-profit organisation (NPO) based in Seshego Zone 8 that was started to support the communities’ children and to spread awareness about mental health issues.
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The organisation offers outreach programmes to promote individual empowerment and donate clothes and food parcels to children from disadvantaged backgrounds who cannot have their basic needs met.
Recently, the NPO hosted an event at David Nkoana Senior Primary School in Seshego during which they donated food parcels and clothes to underprivileged learners.
Ntabane told BONUS she started the initiative with the help of family and friends in order to help others who struggles with mental health. She explained how she faced mental health issues in Gr 12 and she believes that other learners may face the same challenges.
“I couldn’t talk about the difficulties that affected my high school experiences because I was afraid it would make me feel like I didn’t belong with the other matriculants, and it didn’t help that the school I went to had its own problems. Later I realised many young people face mental health issues they don’t talk about, which causes more harm than good. As a result, I was inspired to start this organisation as a chance to break the cycle of silence surrounding mental health issues, regardless of one’s background.
“I believe we can make an impact in the areas we visit because we receive gratitude and long-term appreciation from them, which confirms how important our jobs are.
“When I look back to when we started the NPO, it makes me proud to be part of an organisation that aims to become the change we want to see in our communities.”
For donations the organisation can be contacted on 081 543 6832 or visit their Facebook page: Sunshine Through the Rain NPO.
