About us

Our Minds is a community based organisation that is committed to improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of young people in South Africa. We are registered with the Department of Social Development under the Nonprofit Organisation Act, 1997. Registration number 292-296

We champion the voices of young people to influence mental health policy and practice. We work closely with schools to support learner's mental health and provide parents with resources on how they can support their children when suffering or experiencing mental health challenges. In addition we run offer mental health support and run peer support programmes for young people between the ages of 10-27 and host mental health workshops to create safe spaces for learning, to promote mental health awareness, resilience and emotional wellbeing.


PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

  • Promote good mental health for all children in South Africa.
  • Run peer support groups to create safe spaces where young people can speak openly about suicide, abuse, and trauma—and ensure they receive the best possible mental health support.
  • Foster innovation to meet the needs of vulnerable and excluded children in rural areas, townships, and the Cape Flats.
  • Empower everyone who works with children in any capacity to build therapeutic connections that promote healing and trust.
  • Support educators and caregivers in prioritising student wellbeing and placing mental health at the heart of school improvement.
  • Play an active role in early intervention, suicide prevention and mental health promotion.
  • Raise funds to provide mental health care for young people who do not have access to the support they need.

SECONDARY AIMS:

Our secondary aims will be to ensure that young people in South Africa have consistent access to mental healthcare and the necessary supports. We aspire to drive systemic change in the mental health sector by training and working alongside young people with lived experience to influence policy and practice. We recognise that creating safe spaces alone is not enough—without improvements to their environments, many young people will continue to face abuse, poverty, long waiting lists, and care that fails to meet their needs. Advocate for policy changes, because policies matter and they can save lives.

 

 

 

 

Our story

We are a youth led organisation for the youth. We believe in the saying "nothing about us without us"

Currently the government in South Africa spends less than 5% of its budget on mental health despite the growing numbers of suicide deaths, high youth employment and rise in young people's mental health and less than 2% of that budget is spent on youth mental health. Our aim is to champion the voices of young people to influence mental health policy and practice in South Africa and fight for a future where children and young people have access to mental health care.


Our training resources and content are co-designed with young people, registered social workers and mental health professionals. 

WE VALUE RESPECT, COMPASSION, DIVERSITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

 

Our history

From modest beginnings formed in March 2020, we have grown through unwavering dedication and a commitment to continuous improvement. Every step of our journey has reinforced our core belief in the power of collaboration and the importance of integrity. We are passionate about what we do, and we’re excited to share our story with you.

 

Our PEER SUPPORT programs offer a safe space for young people to support one another. Organised in such a way that they are tailored to meet their unique needs. 

Our WORKSHOPS are designed not only to help teachers and parents better understand how to identify when a child is struggling, but also to contribute to building a kinder, more mentally health-literate world.

 

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: We collaborate with psychology students and graduates, training them as lay counsellors to help us provide support to young people experiencing mental health challenges, and we make referral's where necessary 

 

SCHOOLS: As part of our early intervention efforts, we work closely with schools to support young people’s mental health and resilience. Schools play a key role in helping us identify learners who are struggling. We also equip teachers with training and practical resources to help them support learners facing mental health challenges.

Our core values are:

 

  • Respect
  • Integrity
  • Compassion and Collaboration

 

We started as a community based organisation that was raising awareness about mental health in the rural parts of Eastern Cape, speaking in classrooms, clinics and other public spaces, and we have grown into an organisation that leads peer support groups both in Eastern Cape and Western Cape. We work with schools, teachers and parents because We believe in a whole society approach, while supporting and building safe spaces for children and young people.