Celebrating World Head Injury Awareness Day

Headway Soweto celebrated World Head Injury Awareness Day with their attendees and their families last week.

The purpose of the event was to have their low functioning group meet with their high functioning counterparts so they could be motivated and to give more awareness to families on head injuries.

The attendees also enjoyed a session of biokinetics where they had some exercises to help stimulate their bodies.

Field Worker at Headway Soweto Mpho Masilo: “We always have events to celebrate the day and to create awareness.

“This year we wanted it to be all about our attendees, hence we are showing them how much we appreciate them.

“When some of our attendees (people who attend weekly) and members (those who have gone back to work but come once a month) first come here they come physically and emotionally battered but now we are seeing progress.”

Masilo said they continue giving help, support and counselling to the families and members and they carry on with doing home visits to check on their progress.

She thanked the Vodacom Foundation Change the World Programme for assisting them.

One of the attendees at Headway Soweto Theo Mphatha said he started attending at the centre in 2008.

He said after he was assaulted in 2003 he had been receiving therapy in various hospitals and institutions but wasn’t getting better.

He then started being an attendee at Headway and that is where he saw a huge difference.

“I had lost my home and job and things were difficult for me.

“Now I have hope as this place has boosted my image and confidence.

“I enjoy coming here because I can mingle with other people who have similar issues to what I have.”

Mphatha said that he is thankful for being at Headway because when he is down his spirit gets lifted. He said it helps seeing people like himself as he knows he is not alone.

“Thank you to Headway because they have done a lot for us.

“We don’t feel pity for ourselves anymore and we are stimulated,” he said.

Dr Thobeka Nkomo from the Vodacom Foundation Change the World Programme said she entered into this programme and chose Headway as the NPO she wanted to assist since last year.

She said through this initiative so far they have various projects that are underway including professional talks with attendees and their families.

They have also been able to buy equipment for the centre, have had awareness campaigns, did training for field workers, translated a book that explains brain injury into isiZulu and have gone into a project of providing bags with goods inside to assist those with head injury.