Our Protective Workshop in Imbali has a recently new manager, Bongie Ndzingi. Bongie has been a social worker at PMB Mental Health since 2009. She is very passionate about the needs and caring for persons with mental disabilities and she is doing big things with the service users under her guidance.
As mentioned in the website content, protective workshops provide a place where service users from the community can go to everyday and learn and grow. There is contract work and work skills provided ie. Carwash, gardening and sewing. Besides these activities, the following exciting events are taking place at the Inkanyezi workshop:
Literacy Classes
These classes entail providing lessons to learners over a certain period. It provides basic literacy necessary for day to day living. This is increasing knowledge, confidence and skills that will transform service users’ quality of living.
Choir rehearsals
Inkanyezi has formed its own choir. These choir sessions are extremely rewarding therapeutically and enhances healthy happy endorphins which leads to improved mental health. Practice takes place twice a week and at the end of the week a beautiful harmonious choir performs for everyone.
The programme aims to develop the full potential of mental health care users (MHCUs) by enabling them to acquire work related skills, work opportunities, inclusion and participation in sports and recreation.
We have three protective workshops for persons with mental disabilities are trained in work related skills, personal independence and socialization skills, to empower them to achieve their optimum level of functioning. These protective workshops are: Buxton Workshop in Inkanyezi Workshop and MH Moosa Workshop. The eventual goal of the programme is to place and support suitable persons with a mental disability in the open labour market, for short or long term employment within any business.
SERVICES PROVIDED AT THE PROTECTIVE WORKSHOP
• Basic work and social skills training
• Possible supported employment opportunities in open labour
• Participation in sport, recreation and fundraising programmes.
- Empowerment through Advocacy Forum training
- We offer competitive rates for contract work such as simple assembly work, packaging and labelling.
Soccer practice
Healthy body and mind goes together and physical fitness is extremely important to persons with such a disability. Some of the medication slows their metabolism down which leads to obesity. It is for this reason that service users are encouraged to attend soccer practice and become fit and strong.
Soccer practice
Healthy body and mind goes together and physical fitness is extremely important to persons with such a disability. Some of the medication slows their metabolism down which leads to obesity. It is for this reason that service users are encouraged to attend soccer practice and become fit and strong.
