A community-based programme is providing psychological well being help to adolescents and younger folks in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg.
The initiative, run by the non-profit organisation Tiko, supplies psychosocial help to younger folks aged 15 to 24 by way of group remedy periods and particular person counselling referrals.
“Psychological well being continues to be considered as one thing ‘overseas’ in lots of elements of the neighborhood,” says Olga Rikhotso, Tiko’s ecosystems supervisor for Johannesburg. “But it impacts each ladies and boys and sits on the centre of many social challenges we see.”
The organisation runs HIV, sexual and reproductive well being, and gender-based violence programmes in seven African nations.
Tiko reintroduced its psychosocial help programme in Johannesburg in June 2025.
“Orange Farm was recognized as a precedence space as a consequence of excessive ranges of melancholy, college dropout and suicide danger amongst adolescents,” explains Rikhotso.
Orange Farm secondary faculties and neighborhood areas have develop into key websites for the programme, which hosts periods as soon as per week over a six-week interval. The periods give attention to figuring out triggers of melancholy, constructing emotional resilience and equipping individuals with sensible instruments to handle stress and anxiousness. Classes are facilitated by educated psychological well being professionals.
Recognizing psychological stress
Nineteen-year-old Bohlale Phakathi from Drieziek 3 in Orange Farm says the programme helped her to recognise and deal with her melancholy after repeating Grade 10.
“After failing Grade 10 in 2024, my vanity dropped. I misplaced hope and had detrimental ideas about college,” she says. “I didn’t even realise that I used to be depressed.”
Phakathi joined the programme after an area youth chief organized psychological well being screenings in the neighborhood. She attended weekly periods in a non-public home-based area for 5 weeks.
“I realized the way to handle stress and work smarter in school.”
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Single mother, 22-year-old Mmathapelo Molakeng from Drieziek 3, discovered about Tiko by way of a good friend who seen that she was overwhelmed, harassed and anxious.
“I used to be struggling to deal with each day life,” she tells Well being-e Information. “I misplaced my father in 2022, however years later, I realised I wanted psychological well being help and proper coping instruments. I enrolled with Tiko for psychological well being help.”
Group-based help and incentives
Younger folks enrolled within the programme obtain R15 vouchers for every session they attend and for psychological well being screening. The vouchers accumulate over the six weeks and may be redeemed at Tiko-registered retail shops.
“With the amassed quantity, younger individuals are capable of purchase primary toiletries like sanitary pads, cleaning soap and lotion,” Rikhotso says. “Some select to rejoice finishing the programme by shopping for snacks. The vouchers encourage them to attend periods and full the programme.”
The programme is delivered by way of partnerships with Orange Farm faculties, native youth leaders and community-based organisations.
“This programme exhibits that when psychological well being help is introduced into the neighborhood, younger individuals are keen to interact,” Rikhotso says. “They simply have to really feel protected and supported.” – Well being-e Information
