On Tuesday 24 January, the new South Campaign, Fracarita Belgium’s annual campaign within the apostolic works of the Brothers of Charity in Belgium, was launched at the Zoete Nood Gods Pyschiatric Centre in Lede. About 220 staff members from our schools and facilities attended and were inspired to develop the campaign for their own target groups.
This year, Fracarita Belgium is drawing attention to the plight of young people with epilepsy in Africa. They often face prejudice and misunderstanding: epilepsy is a punishment for a sin they committed, people with epilepsy are possessed by evil spirits, are cursed, contagious… They feel ashamed and don’t go outside anymore…
Still, most people with epilepsy can lead a perfectly normal life. With medication, epileptic seizures can be completely suppressed in most cases. People can work again, study, raise a family… and build a real future! Because epilepsy is a medically treatable condition, nothing more…
The Brothers of Charity have built a dozen centres in the heart of Africa where people with epilepsy get the right diagnosis and proper treatment. The staff of these centres raise awareness among the people and organize training for health workers.
The proceeds of the 2017 South Campaign will be used to raise even more awareness in the region of the Great Lakes – Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and Tanzania – and make epilepsy medication more available, including to the poor. Because currently less than 3 in 10 people with epilepsy in Africa are getting the treatment they need.
Useful links:
- Campaign website
- Website Fracarita Belgium
- Pictures of the launch day at P.C. Zoete Nood Gods in Lede
- Campaign video (currently only in Dutch, French version coming this autumn):