TOUGHLOVE FOR BOTSWANA
Crisis and trauma centre opens in Gaborone
IN an effort to address crisis and trauma, Toughlove, a South African organisation that supports families in crisis, has opened a branch in Gaborone.
Speaking to The Voice in an interview, Toughlove Country Representative, Odireleng Kasale, said the organisation was established to deal with any form of unacceptable behaviour such as substance abuse and addiction as well as to support the family through any crisis they may be facing.
“It is a family support group for any person who is troubled by a loved one’s disruptive behaviour,” Kasale explained.
A qualified addiction counsellor, Kasale provides the NonProfit-organisation (NPO) necessary skills to assist families in crisis.
She noted a lack of psychosocial support in Botswana, especially for families of mentally ill patients.
“When a person is discharged from a mental hospital, the affected family normally doesn’t know how to deal with him or her. The family does not know how to handle the patient and it affects them. When a family member comes to us, we have a programme to teach them how they can cope and have strength to deal with such a situation,” explained Kasale
The group meets every Thursday at Extension 9 ChalkBoard office for an hour for people to share their experiences and get to be referred to rehabilitation centres in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Toughlove SA Branch Coordinator, Chantal Grotto, said their aim was to mentor Kasale as a co-opted board member in South Africa where she would be taught how to act on a board and how to be of service in a NPO.
KNOWLEDGE
Grotto further explained that once Kasale has been equipped with sufficient knowledge, Toughlove would then “plug and play the programme over five years in Botswana.”
“One or two South Africa board members would be coopted once the Botswana NPO has been established in order to guide and mentor and uphold brand consistency within the two countries. The group that has currently been started is a microcosm of what can or can’t work and after two years once it has gained traction, only then can it be assessed to grow the group into an NPO and be a part of a larger business. For now, the group falls under the SA banner as it is in its infancy stage and needs direction,” said Grotto.