Celebs offer comfort to the depressed in honour of Madiba
SANDTON - Centred on helping those with mental problems, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group invited celebrities to commemorate Mandela Day with them.
The organisation wanted to honour the special day and celebrate the late icon’s legacy.
Meryl da Costa, press liaison officer at the organisation, spoke about the importance of helping others, as Mandela did in his lifetime.
“Madiba was all about helping others, which falls in line with what we do, so we wanted to emphasise that and rope others in too,” she said.
Da Costa also explained that the day was an opportunity to create awareness about mental health, as there was a need to address the stigma surrounding the issue.
Celebrities such as Sade Gilberti, Leanne Manas and members from popular radio stations, Y-FM and 5FM, came in numbers to assist others and offer words of encouragement and hope to those in dire situations.
“We’ve had many celebrities come in and they have just been wonderful, talking to depressed people and thanking others for their support,” she said.
Da Costa stressed the continued need for funds and appealed to people to be generous and assist help even more people.
“We also wanted to ask that people help organisations such as ours on a daily basis and not just for 67 minutes,” she said.
People could assist the organisation by donating money, volunteering for counselling, establishing support groups in communities and taking part in school talks, she said.
“We have a satellite office in Diepsloot and we are always looking for people to assist there,” she said.
Sadag is a non-profit organisation focused assisting people suffering from depression, suicidal tendencies and mental health issues.
To assist or volunteer, visit www.sadag.org
