Seasoned actress Nomzamo Mbatha shares tips for children struggling with mental illness
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation and Cotton On announced their R6.4m donation to six South African mental health organisations on Monday.
This is part of $3m (R53.46m) funding of 65 youth-focused organisations in 10 countries through the Kindness in Community Fund, among the largest funding efforts to provide direct support for youth mental health worldwide.
The Kindness in Community Fund beneficiaries span a wide range of focus areas, including direct mental health service providers, arts and culture, youth leadership and development, education, sports and recreation. By offering up to $150,000 (R2.67m) per organisation, the fund enables services that respond to the top themes young people hope to address in their regions, including culturally competent services, LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy, gender-based violence support, destigmatising mental health and migrant and refugee community care. The Kindness in Community Fund offers a comprehensive approach that connects young people with a wide range of free, accessible resources and opportunities to support themselves and their peers.
The South African beneficiaries are: Community Keepers, Khululeka Grief Support, Lefika La Phodiso, Little Lions Child Coaching, PHOLA SANA and Waves for Change, all of which are working to ensure young South Africans are healthier and more healed.
"It was my daughter's and my vision to be able to act on the research and thousands of conversations we've had with young people globally, where youth have asked for responsive services and programmes that meet their needs and support their mental health and wellbeing," said Cynthia Germanotta, president and co-founder of Born This Way Foundation.
"Thanks to partners such as Cotton On, Born This Way Foundation is able to scale the work of the 2024 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipients as they support youth mental health and uplift their communities.
"Youth mental health is a great passion of mine as this area is often overlooked and there is so much potential to make a meaningful difference," said Nomzamo Mbatha, Cotton On Foundation ambassador.
"Supporting the mental health of our youth is crucial because a healthy mind is the key to a fulfilled future. By empowering young people with the resources and support they need, we invest in the wellbeing and resilience of the next generation."
Encouraging youth, Mbatha shared three pointers for young children dealing with mental health issues and seeking help.
1. You can't heal what you don't reveal. Find someone who will be your soft landing and safety pod; this is the person who will be able to hold space for you and the emotions you may experience with empathy, understanding and encouragement. This could be a therapist, your friend, your teacher or mentor.
2. Find community. Seek community-based programmes that focus on mental wellbeing and betterment. When you are in communion you feel less alone and you find ways in which other people are coping. Whether it be through sports, exercise, art or pouring into a passion of theirs. It inspires you to find the thing that makes you feel alive, makes your spirit feel expansive.
3. Interrogate. Therapy can be expensive for some. So use the power of social media and podcasts. There is much free advice therapists are sharing online that can help us better understand ourselves and our emotions. Once I started interrogating why I feel certain things, it helped me understand myself better. It helped me offer empathy, kindness and compassion towards myself and I practise it every day. Through meditation, writing, holding my stomach, holding my heart, giving myself grace in all things.
This is part of $3m (R53.46m) funding of 65 youth-focused organisations in 10 countries through the Kindness in Community Fund, among the largest funding efforts to provide direct support for youth mental health worldwide.
The Kindness in Community Fund beneficiaries span a wide range of focus areas, including direct mental health service providers, arts and culture, youth leadership and development, education, sports and recreation. By offering up to $150,000 (R2.67m) per organisation, the fund enables services that respond to the top themes young people hope to address in their regions, including culturally competent services, LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy, gender-based violence support, destigmatising mental health and migrant and refugee community care. The Kindness in Community Fund offers a comprehensive approach that connects young people with a wide range of free, accessible resources and opportunities to support themselves and their peers.
The South African beneficiaries are: Community Keepers, Khululeka Grief Support, Lefika La Phodiso, Little Lions Child Coaching, PHOLA SANA and Waves for Change, all of which are working to ensure young South Africans are healthier and more healed.
"It was my daughter's and my vision to be able to act on the research and thousands of conversations we've had with young people globally, where youth have asked for responsive services and programmes that meet their needs and support their mental health and wellbeing," said Cynthia Germanotta, president and co-founder of Born This Way Foundation.
"Thanks to partners such as Cotton On, Born This Way Foundation is able to scale the work of the 2024 Kindness in Community Fund grant recipients as they support youth mental health and uplift their communities.
"Youth mental health is a great passion of mine as this area is often overlooked and there is so much potential to make a meaningful difference," said Nomzamo Mbatha, Cotton On Foundation ambassador.
"Supporting the mental health of our youth is crucial because a healthy mind is the key to a fulfilled future. By empowering young people with the resources and support they need, we invest in the wellbeing and resilience of the next generation."
Encouraging youth, Mbatha shared three pointers for young children dealing with mental health issues and seeking help.
1. You can't heal what you don't reveal. Find someone who will be your soft landing and safety pod; this is the person who will be able to hold space for you and the emotions you may experience with empathy, understanding and encouragement. This could be a therapist, your friend, your teacher or mentor.
2. Find community. Seek community-based programmes that focus on mental wellbeing and betterment. When you are in communion you feel less alone and you find ways in which other people are coping. Whether it be through sports, exercise, art or pouring into a passion of theirs. It inspires you to find the thing that makes you feel alive, makes your spirit feel expansive.
3. Interrogate. Therapy can be expensive for some. So use the power of social media and podcasts. There is much free advice therapists are sharing online that can help us better understand ourselves and our emotions. Once I started interrogating why I feel certain things, it helped me understand myself better. It helped me offer empathy, kindness and compassion towards myself and I practise it every day. Through meditation, writing, holding my stomach, holding my heart, giving myself grace in all things.
