Student Tackles Depression
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FREE Literary Fest p3 NGO lends a p4 to honour helping hand LENTSWE LA BATHO • VOICE OF THE PEOPLE Flaxman at Petunia WEDNESDAY 11 JULY 2018 Student tackles depression SEITHATI SEMENOKANE The drastic life change can be [email protected] Next Chapter founder, overwhelming and has the potential Tshepang Laurence Mahlatsi of causing mental illnesses such as PHOTO: STUDIO M anxiety and depression. “This is where After going through the trials and PHOTOGRAPHY tribulations of the #FeesMustFall Next Chapter comes into play – we movement, Tshepang Mahlatsi (22) found offer structured group therapy and peer himself overwhelmed by his leadership support for each other. We are privileged role and as a result, was diagnosed to have professionals such as Dr Ancel with depression in 2016. The third-year George, a clinical psychologist and senior student studying towards his Bachelor lecturer, willing to assist us and also help of Law (LLB) degree at the University of with our projects. We refer to her as our the Free State (UFS), was then inspired guardian angel,” said Mahlatsi. to start Next Chapter, a programme that Although they are looking for sponsorship, addresses mental health issues among Mahlatsia said he was grateful for the the youth. support he had received from CampusKey “At the time I was the prime of male Student Living, where he resides. They residence, Tswelopele. I suppressed my have taken on the task of sponsoring the emotions in order to assist the other initiative, offering them a place to host residents and students. I also lost valued their sessions as well as assisting them people during this time, which led to an with marketing material. even deeper depression, to the point As the chairperson of Students for Law that I dropped out of law school. I was and Social Justice (SLSJ) at UFS, and suffering from post-traumatic stress leader and founder of Next Chapter, disorder (PTSD). It was all a process of Mahlatsi has a bright future ahead of self-discovery, which came at the wrong him. “I personally feel as if I haven’t done time. I wasn’t prepared for all that was much yet. I want to do more in serving happening to me,” he said. humanity. I live by this motto: ‘I’m not Although he had support at the time, saying I’m going to change the world, but this made him realise that not enough I guarantee that I will spark the brain that was being done or said about mental will change the world’ by Tupac Shakur.” health. “I find that, even today, this To learn more about Next Chapter, topic isn’t broached, especially in black suicide attempts at the university, which that can persuade a person to drop visit Facebook: Next-Chapter or communities. I was motivated further saddened me. The university environment out or lead an unhealthy, unbalanced phone 084-992-7400 or email by numerous actual suicides as well as is not healthy with so much happening lifestyle.” [email protected]. 7KH5,*+7&+2,&( 0%&K% 8296 IRU\RXU+($/7+&$5(QHHGV 0(',&$/$,' &$6+&2168/7$7,216 70LGGHVWDG&HQWUH)LUVW)ORRU0HGLFDO6XLWH23326,7(&/,&.6 2 COMMUNITY NEWS • SETJHABA www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za • [email protected] • 11 July 2018 FS Cuban students expected back SEITHATI SEMENOKANE FS Health spokesperson, Mondli [email protected] Mvambi. Theodore Chikuma, Tryphena Kraalshoek and the Save Our Girls workshop participants. He added that the 44 students will be The Free State is expecting a total of here for electives, which will take about 161 students to arrive back in the a month, and they will be doing them Young girls became the country on 18 July 2018. These are at Free State health facilities. “We students who have been studying see these young soon-to-be doctors ‘centre of attraction’ medicine in Cuba over the past few as the backbone of the preventative museum also paid the young girls a visit. years. These students will complete primary health care. This is one of the MOLEBOGENG MALEBO [email protected] Yolanda de Kock, who is their education their final sixth-year studies and their fundamentals of the transformation of officer, said that their role in the initiative integration into the South African our health system from hospital centered We live in a world where the girl child is was to teach the girls how to express health system as part of the Nelson curative to a disease-free preventative often looked down upon or is told to know themselves through visual art. One of Mandela Fidel Castro (NMFC) medical system,” said Mvambi. her place. Fortunately, there are those the well-known supermarkets was kind collaboration programme of the The Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro who believe in encouraging girls to rise enough to provide soup for the girls. Department of Health. Scholarship Programme is an effort to above their challenges and to become Chikuma mentioned that the workshop The soon-to-be doctors were curb the scourge of scarcity of doctors better than what society dictates. is a great way to ensure that the girls are welcomed last Saturday, 7 July 2018, and medical professionals faced by Local businessman, philanthropist and doing something positive and enriching at a ceremony held at OR Tambo the country. “We aspire to be in the entrepreneur, Theo “Theo King” Chikuma, during the June-July school holidays. He International Airport. They were same league as Cuba with respect to is doing just that with his Save Our Girls previously spoke to Bloemfontein Courant welcomed home by ANC Secretary- elimination of diseases. Cuba has no initiative, which is aimed at empowering before the launch of the initiative last year General and former FS premier, Ace maternal and neonatal deaths. They young girls to reach great heights. about his hopes of taking the workshop to Magashule, Minister of Health, Dr Aaron are an envy of the world with respect A workshop was hosted for a group of various schools across the country. Motsoaledi, current FS Premier, Sefora to their preventative health care. Grade 6 and 7 pupils at the Trevor Barlow When asked about the impact the Ntombela, Deputy Minister Joe Phaahla, MEC Montsheng Tsiu is committed to Library in Heidedal as part of the initiative. workshop had, Chikuma spoke about FS MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, ensuring that these students have a job The workshop was held (with the help of how positive he was that they were Sam Mashinini, KZN MEC for Health, Dr when they come back that is why the local farmer and Save Our Girls facilitator, able to achieve what they had set Sibongiseni Dhlomo, as well as Cuban government has been so committed to Tryphena Kraalshoek, to teach the young out to accomplish: “I really think we Ambassador in South Africa, Rodolfo ensuring that we secure our investment girls about the importance of one’s accomplished what we intended to do. We Benites Version. in these doctors,” he added. reputation and how to build and maintain already see the girls as leaders and we 117 of these students are in their The Free State Provincial Government, it. The programme featured various see them becoming great.” He mentioned final fifth year. “They will be doing the along with the premier, Sefora Ntombela, speakers, including entrepreneur, Teddy how engaged the young ladies were 18-month integration programme in the are expected to host the provincial home Mhlambi, who spoke about confidence throughout the week. He also spoke about Free State and at various South African welcoming celebration on 30 July 2018 and body image, Ashley Leeuw, a social the importance of empowering the girl universities. And 44 fourth-year students at the Dr Molemela Indoor Sport Centre worker who shed light on the different child, especially from a young age. One of are here to do their electives,” explained in Mangaung. forms of abuse and how to go about the participants, Cleo-dene Lubbe, shared reporting it, and acquisition banker, Venus what she learned during the workshop Bartlett, who educated the learners on 3U1R and her thoughts on the entire experience +DQJHU6WUHHW the importance of saving, especially from were: “I learned about personalities and %ORHPIRQWHLQ a young age. Representatives from a local so much more. I enjoyed it a lot.” 7HO 5#"-1-,0$-0 3UHJQDQF\&RQ¿UPDWLRQ *HQGHU'HWHUPLQDWLRQ $QDWRP\ Bahlolohadi ba kgutlisetswe 'HFUHDVHGIRHWDO0RYHPHQWIRU+RXU 3URYLGH%DE\6FDQ 3LF )HOO'XULQJ3UHJQDQF\ $FFHSWDEOH6RQDU5HSRUWLQDOO+HDOWK ditumello tsa ditekesi ,QYROYHGLQDQ$FFLGHQW )DFLOLWLHVLQ)UHH6WDWH 7UDXPDWLF(YHQW %DG1HZV &OLHQWVFDQEHDFFRPSDQLHGE\DQ\ERG\LQWR NOMAQHAWE MTEBELE $Q\39%OHHGLQJ'XULQJ3UHJQDQF\ WKHFRQVXOWLQJURRP [email protected] 3UH7RS6RQDU (WKLFDOO\ /HJDOO\5HTXLUHG 6HOI5HIHUDOV$FFHSWHG Premier wa Freistata Sisi Ntombela o ile a tswara seboka le basadi ba ileng ba nkellwa dipermiti tsa ditekesi kantle ho molao, Laboraro le fetileng. Seboka sena sene se tshwaretswe moahong wa Premier wa Freistata Sisi Ntombela PHOTO: Municipality wa Mangaung mme ho ne ho NOMAQHAWE MTEBELE ena le bahlolohadi, dikgutsana le ba bang a ileng ba amohuwa dipermiti tsa ditekesi. ba bona ba hlokahale. E mong wa bona Sebokeng seo ba bang ba neng ba le ke Dimakatso Sekhokho, wa Ventersburg, teng, ke ba neng ba nkelwa dipermit kgale mme o hlalositse hore ha a so fumane ho feta dilemo tse mashome a mabedi tse mangolo a tekesi ya hae ho tswa ho fetileng. monna eo a neng a a kadimile. “Ka 1996 Moetapele wa lefapha la ditsela MEC Sam monna e mong o ile a kadima tumello Mashinini, mmoho le lekgotla la South ya monna wa ka ya tekesi, mme o ne a African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) le lokela ho e sebedisa ka kgwedi.