Matthew Jackman (Australia)
Our physical environment is part of our being, and our identity is tied up with how we see others. As humans we need people to have a...
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About us
The Empathy & Hope Project is a social awareness initiative that includes multimedia art forms and engagement tools as vehicles to create dialogue and social change around mental health and wellbeing in communities around the world.
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Through creative community engagement, this initiative promotes its core pillars, empathy and hope.
EMPATHY for those experiencing, and who are affected by, mental health challenges and HOPE as a teachable skill that can promote mental wellbeing.
“HOPE for me is when you are slowly drowning and someone gives me an oxygen mask while I learn to swim. It doesn’t matter if I sink because I still have the mask and I can just push myself from the bottom of the ocean back up again. Over and over again, until I get the strokes right.
EMPATHY for me is when I’m in the bottom of a dark well and not only do you see me down there, but put a ladder down for me to climb up, or you even come down to fetch me.
Hope has kept me alive and empathy has made me feel alive. Hope has given me the fuel to want to get better mentally and empathy has given me the vehicle to be mentally healthy.”
Hapi Vorster for #voicesofhope by The Empathy & Hope Project
Initiatives
Our Initiatives
Hi, I’m Chantelle,
I'm a global mental health advocate and social impact entrepreneur based in Durban, South Africa. I'm affiliated with local and international organisations and serve on multiple health advisory committees. My work has a strong focus on creating evidence and solutions on mental health support for young people as well as addressing unemployment caused by mental health conditions in the workplace. I'm the Creator and Curator of the Empathy & Hope Project, a travelling social awareness art initiative.
Empathy & Hope Project Podcast
This podcast is an extension of the Empathy & Hope Project that incorporates hyper-local voices in different communities around the world.
An audio platform explores themes related to social inequalities and environmental factors that impact individuals, group and community mental wellbeing.
Hosted by Global Mental Health Activist and Creator of the Empathy & Hope Project, Chantelle Booysen, together with our guests and fellow activists
Voices of Empathy & Hope
Our Supporters
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