In Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Hospitaller Sisters rescue people with mental illnesses who have been accused of witchcraft from the streets. They are elderly people, children, single mothers with their children, adolescents, and adults, all united by the common denominator of psychological suffering. The sisters search for them in Kinshasa’s dusty streets, and the Telema Mental Health Center is where these people are welcomed, assisted, respected, and loved.

Current situation of psychiatric care in Africa

Mental health is not a priority. Sub-Saharan Africa must first address physical health problems; economic and humanitarian aid, as well as international cooperation, also focus on physical problems and relegate mental health to the background.
In addition, there are few facilities dedicated to treating this type of illness and, consequently, there is a severe shortage of human resources: few psychiatrists, rare specialized nurses, and social workers. Less than 1% of healthcare budgets is allocated to treatment for people with mental illnesses. 
Kinshasa is not an exception in Africa. The problem is repeated in many other cities across the continent. According to the World Health Organization, more than 10% of Africans suffer from some type of mental illness, but in many countries the budget governments allocate for treatment is almost nonexistent, and neuropsychiatric services in hospitals are rare.

Accused of witchcraft

Depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, self-harm, cognitive delays, alcoholism, epilepsy, and substance abuse are generally the main problems encountered.
When someone shows symptoms of a mental disorder, they are not taken to the hospital because the family believes it is a spell, a matter of witchcraft, or that the person is possessed by an evil spirit; instead, they turn to a witch doctor to obtain liberation. This was the case with Guy. When the sisters find him outside his home, his body is covered with sores and flies. His parents left him in the street after his two brothers died within a few days of each other; they accuse him of witchcraft, beat him bloody, and pour hot water over him. Still dazed, the family abandons him on a sidewalk. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus welcome and care for him… Today, Guy teaches French to young people and prays, asking others to pray for his family’s conversion.
People with mental illnesses are often “labeled” and socially discriminated against, especially in large cities, leading to marginalization, rejection, and abandonment. It is not uncommon to see them wandering the streets, often exposed to attacks and insults, physical violence, and sexual abuse. This happened to Joséphine, who, after a breakdown, ended up living on the street, wearing tattered clothes, going years without washing, and eating from garbage bins. A nun brought her to the Telema Center, and a month later “she had her smile and dignity back.” She now runs a small business.
A wonderful story of redemption and rebirth!

The Telema Mental Health Center

To bring hope to Kinshasa’s poorest patients suffering from these conditions, the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart founded the Telema Mental Health Center, which in the local language means “to get someone who has fallen back on their feet.”
The first sisters arrived in Kinshasa in 1989 at the request of the local Church, which felt powerless and wanted to offer a solution for the sick people wandering the streets. Two years later, in 1991, the Telema Center was inaugurated in the Matete district of the Congolese capital.  
The mission of the Hospitaller Sisters embodies and expresses the charism of hospitality through welcoming, assisting, providing specialized care for, and giving preferential attention to people affected by mental illnesses, intellectual or physical disabilities, and other illnesses, taking into account the needs and emergencies of every time and place, with particular attention to the poorest and most needy.

How the Hospitaller Sisters work

The Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart provide comprehensive care to people affected by mental disorders, including prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and social reintegration, so that they can recover their life plans with dignity and maintain an appropriate quality of life. The goal is to prevent the marginalization of people with mental illnesses, so that family members and others understand that mental illnesses are like all other illnesses and have their own causes and effective treatments.
Currently, the Hospitaller Sisters manage more than 370 centers and units in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
They are present in 25 countries, with 17,300 healthcare and social care places and approximately 2 million patients in the last year; this work is possible thanks to the human and professional commitment of 1,000 sisters, 11,100 workers, and numerous volunteers.

Therapy and manual work

People who suffer from mental illness can also work while experiencing symptoms. Work helps strengthen self-esteem, improve social relationships, and regain one’s role within the family.
One wing of the Center also houses a vocational workshop where around thirty people engage in sewing, embroidery, and the creation of all kinds of objects for a dual purpose: therapy and self-financing. The famous fabric dolls are the workshop’s flagship product.
One of the Hospitaller Sisters’ priorities is not to isolate people with mental illnesses in hospitals or care centers, but to raise families’ awareness so that they learn to consider mental illnesses treatable and, in some cases, curable, just like other conditions; to live with their loved ones and care for them, even though treatment is prolonged and requires a great deal of patience. 
The Hospitaller Sisters demonstrate a path of service and dedication, especially in favor of those most in need. They are greatly admired and loved by Africans because they are not afraid to help “those who arouse fear.” They are willing to give themselves to others, loving without limits.

Looking to the future…

Mental illness is unfortunately still a taboo today and, not only in Africa, it is a subject people prefer not to discuss, an issue that is difficult to investigate and reflect upon. But reflecting on what appears different or “strange” is a duty if we are to overcome the barriers of ignorance and fear that exclude and marginalize.
As for the Hospitaller Sisters, they are an example, showing a path and a way to serve and accompany those most in need through care for the whole person, reintegration into society, and the defense of their dignity. 
Let us seek a new approach to people affected by mental disorders, beginning to break down the barriers of mistrust, marginalization, and exclusion.