Samham’s call for volunteers with passion

THE South African Mental Health Advocacy Movement (Samham) said it needs volunteers, who are passionate about mental health and human rights, to help it break down barriers preventing people, with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities, from accessing rights enshrined in the country’s constitution and Bill of Rights.

Called advocacy leaders, the volunteers will be expected to build relationships with their communities.

“People with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities should be empowered to participate in all levels of activities in their lives,” Samham spokesperson Sifiso Mkhasibe said.

Mkhasibe said the prevalence rates of stigma attached to disabilities are high, both in South Africa and around the world, which creates barriers.

Advocacy leaders are expected to promote the rights of persons, with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities, engage them and provide them with a platform to share their challenges, needs, views and opinions around topics of mental health and human rights, Mkhasibe said.

Such leaders also have to create partnerships with stakeholders and service providers, who include clinic nursing staff and other NGOs in the disability/ health sector, he said.

They should also participate in local events, related to mental health, to promote the rights of persons with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities, as well as support existing advocacy groups, or establish advocacy groups where none existed.

They must report human rights violations in the community to the South African SA Federation for Mental Health, which established Samham in 2007.

Samham has a multi-year strategy to develop an effective, representative national network of persons with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities at national, provincial and local levels.

The strategy is aimed at ongoing empowerment of persons, with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities and raising awareness, through contact-based education at community level countrywide.

Advocacy leaders are recruited from all provinces, trained and remotely supported, to continue advocacy work in their communities.

People interested in becoming a volunteer advocacy leader in their community can be any adult age and can get in touch with SAFMH via email: info@safmh.org.

They can also phone 011 781 1852 or call/ WhatsApp 076 078 8722.

Leaders also have to create partnerships with stakeholders