International Day of Friendship

International Day of Friendship: friendships help build a socially cohesive and self-reliant society

With today (30 July 2015)  marking International Day of Friendship the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) is proud to be at the forefront of building socially cohesive communities of empowered individuals, strong families, and affirming bonds and friendships.

Key to realizing our vision of a self-reliant society is the provision of a broad spectrum of services aimed at empowering ways in which people and families bond and create friendships.

Through our Care and Services to Families sub-programme, the department provides therapeutic programmes such as;

• family counselling,
• couple/ marriage counselling,
• family therapy,
• mediation services such as divorce mediation and family group conferencing.

Positive, re-affirming friendships and social bonds, especially amongst the youth, are vital. As DSD we will continue to roll out services to young people, in order for them to gain skills and meet other youth to exchange ideas. Our Mitchells Plain, Athlone, and George Youth Cafés play a role in this regard, which is why we will continue to roll these out in Nyanga Junction, Oudshoorn and Groot Brak Rivier in this financial year.

Caring and committed friends play an important role in tackling violence (particularly violence against women) and issues of substance abuse. In fact, 45% of people referred to our 25 drug treatment sites across the province have been referred there by friends or family. This is why DSD is continuing to prioritise the massive task of tackling substance abuse in the province. Over the last five years we have more than doubled our budget, with R92.662-million allocated this year.

As we mark the International Day of Friendship let us continue to foster a whole-of-society approach by building partnerships not only between government, NGO’s and business, but also amongst communities and individuals at a friendship level. We can create a socially cohesive and self-reliant society if we work ‘Better Together’.