This Mandela Day, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) is appealing to people to donate towards the operational costs of their Suicide Crisis Helpline.
According to founder Zane Wilson, the number of calls to SADAG’s helplines during the pandemic have increased constantly as more and more people are calling in for assistance. SADAG offers a toll-free call and counselling service which people can reach out to for mental support and help.
Wilson urged all South Africans to support SADAG by donating to the Suicide Crisis Helpline so those who need Mental Health Support and Crisis intervention can easily access it.
According to SADAG the operation of the Suicide Call Centre lines amounts to around R140 000 a month.
For Mandela Day, people can assist and donate either their special Mandela Day R67, or R10, R50 or R100 towards the operational costs of the Suicide Crisis Helplines.
For their #Mandela Day2021 campaign, SADAG has elaborated more on what the donations and funds would be able to cover; R67 will pay for 14 keyrings with SADAG’s Suicide Helpline number to be given to students to inform them about SADAG’s service and contact numbers, R100 can pay for the calls cost for 5 calls to SADAG’s toll-free crisis helpline, R167 will pay for a Teen Suicide Prevention Speaking Book that can reach over 100 young people and R1 670 will help train 25 community members in rural areas on dealing with things such as depression, treating trauma, starting support groups and learning how SADAG can help their communities. To donate visit, www.sadag.org.
Those in need of counselling, can contact SADAG at:
• Suicide Helpline on 0800 567 567
• For free telephonic counselling, 7 days a week, available 24 hours a day call:
0800 21 22 23
0800 70 80 90
0800 456 789
•To chat online with a counsellor between 09:00-16:00 7 days a week, send a WhatsApp message to 076 882 2775 or send an SMS to 31 393 or 32 312 and a counsellor will call you back.
