<B>We have seen quite a lot about Friends in Hope in the media recently with your campaign “Sanz ou régard? How did your association start? - the name sounds a bit like a religious sect!</B>

Not at all. Friends in Hope started off in 1997 as a very small group of relatives of people suffering from a psychiatric disorder, who found hope in mutual support and the sharing of experience on how to cope with such a traumatic event in one’s family. The name means exactly that: an association offering hope, friendship and support to persons suffering from mental illnesses and their families.

There is still a lot to be done in Mauritius to promote the provision of adequate care and consideration for the 20 000 plus persons affected by such illnesses as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder(formerly known as manic depression) and their families. Furthermore, there is a need to spread information about promising new developments in the area of psychiatry, with particular emphasis on adequate post-hospitalization therapy and community support.

<B>What does your association actually do?</B>

We provide information and counselling to patients and their families. We run an Activity Centre at our Bonne Terre headquarters, where up to 30 persons meet each weekday for therapeutic activities ranging from self-care, role-playing, arts and crafts, and various programmes aimed at improving mental concentration as well as socialization and preparation for entering or re-entering the world of work.

<B>What are your future projects?</B>

We have been most fortunate in obtaining a piece of land from the Ministry of Housing and Lands in the Reduit triangle. Plans are currently being drawn up for the eventual construction of a larger Information and Activity Centre, as well as a Small Business Centre, where we hope to offer work to stabilized ex-patients in several small businesses. Of course, when the plans are ready, this will lead to a major fund-raising drive to meet building costs.

<B>What is the purpose of your current media campaign “Sanz ou régard”?</B>

The purpose is to destigmatize mental illness, which is still regarded with fear,discomfort or even mockery by many people, even among the more educated. We wish to stimulate the public to learn more about the subject and to regard sufferers and their families with the same respect and consideration that are generally shown to people affected by any other illness. Mental illness is neither a curse nor a punishment, and the people concerned often feel hurt by the lack of understanding they are frequently faced with.

How is your organization financed?</B>