As part of Parkinson’s awareness month this April, Parkinson’s ZA, a non-profit public benefit organisation (PBO), hosted its weekly support workshop.
The workshop, on April 20 at the Ernest Ullmann Park and Recreation Centre, continued the PBO’s commitment to improving quality of life for people affected by Parkinson’s disease.
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Founded by Rakesh Harribhai, Parkinson’s ZA focuses on delivering accessible, community-based care to individuals living with the disease. The PBO has established three support groups across South Africa, where members meet weekly to receive guidance, therapy, and social support. “Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world. It affects largely our older communities, but it can also affect younger people. What we have offered at these support groups and workshops is multi-disciplinary care, meaning physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and neuropsychology.
“We effectively tool our members with elements for them to live as comfortably as possible, and to be as independent as possible. We provide these workshops free of charge to the entire community for anyone impacted by Parkinson’s disease.”
@caxtonjoburgnorth WATCH: Parkinson’s ZA founder and director Rakesh Harribhai explains how their free weekly workshops provide multidisciplinary care, helping people living with Parkinson’s disease remain independent and improve their quality of life. Video: Xoliswa Zakwe #Sandton #Workshop ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
Attendees at the workshop shared personal insights into living with the condition, underscoring the importance of awareness, support systems, and active lifestyles.
Indra Bhana, who has been living with Parkinson’s for five years, described the disease as complex and often misunderstood. “Parkinson’s is a very complex disease and there should be more awareness when it comes to the conditions that people go through. In managing the disease, you must have a caregiver. My wife, Renuka, plays an important role in my rehabilitation, helping me take my medication. Support groups play a very important role in managing some of the crises we go through.”
Bhana stressed the importance of staying active. “When diagnosed with Parkinson’s you must always be active. Go around the park, do activities, or get to a group of friends and mingle.”
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Another attendee, who preferred to remain anonymous and has been diagnosed for a year and half, spoke about the less visible symptoms of Parkinson’s. “What people don’t understand about Parkinson’s is what actually happens throughout your entire body. Before I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I always wondered why my brain was acting so slow. It took me longer to do stuff and I got tired so quickly. Also, you get a lot of inside issues, not just shakes, you get anxiety, insomnia, constipation, your eyes get very dry so I have to put eyedrops in the whole time and obviously walking.”
Mark Hutches highlighted the daily challenges of managing symptoms, particularly sleep disturbances and tremors. “I wake up three, four times a night and I have a tremor in my right leg and my right arm, which takes a little while to control. Sometimes people don’t realise how difficult it is to basically stop the tremors. Parkinson’s is not an easy disease, and it’s something that has got a stigma attached to it, which we basically would like to break.”
The workshop is held every Monday at Ernest Ullmann Recreation Centre and those interested in joining the Parkinson’s ZA support group, or learning, can call on 083 258 3604 or email [email protected].
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