Hlawulo Maswanganyi is a volunteer telephonic counsellor at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group and a waiter at the Whippet in Linden.
He holds a BA Honours in Psychology (University of South Africa), BA Honours in Social Policy (University of Johannesburg), as well as Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences (South African College of Applied Psychology). Hlawulo has also completed the counselling skills course with Lifeline and through SADAG he provides mental health services to callers on the SADAG suicide line. He provides mental and emotional health services such as containment, counselling and referral to relevant services needed.
The purpose of the walk was to bring light and awareness about autism in South African context. This took place through empowerment and mobilisation of knowledge and resources in South Africa for autism. The nature of the walk being at the zoo, provided the best context for individuals to engage and explore the nature and all the animals in the Johannesburg zoo. Walking is a great physical activity to participate in for the benefit of functional physical and mental health, this means that each individual who participated in the walk benefited a great self-help tip to maintaining positive physical and mental well-being.
The day unfolded with the preparation of the setting of the event which was conducted by Jozi4Autism team and volunteers. The collaboration work between the Johannesburg zoo team and autism volunteers made the preparation effective and efficient for the event. As the participants arrived at the zoo, volunteers welcomed by scanning each participants ticket and directing them to the start point of the walk. As the walk began the participants were directed on the route and direction of the walk that covered every part of the zoo until reaching the end point of the race.
People were very happy and excited from the beginning as they were welcomed with a smile from the gate of the zoo to the start point. People felt supported as volunteers were allocated everywhere at the zoo to make queries convenient to the people participating in the walk and attending the event. Kids were very happy as the event provided a playing ground with a variety of machines, musical instruments (drums,) and sensory physical activities. The event offered kids the environment and opportunity for kids to enhance their motor and socialisation skills with other kids, which made each and every parent happy as their observed kids in a happy-playful state. The event felt like a big family celebration were kids were running around with excitement and each and every individual socialise and building relationships based on the Agenda of the day -Autism in SA.
The schools and vendors was the heart of the event, as it was the centre of whole programme. The heart of the event provided all participants with the opportunity to learn and explore information and resources that were available about Autism and all the important facts to know about. Variety of Schools for the needy children were present to advocate and raise awareness about autism and the services offered at each school. The vendors also provided the participants with program that had guest’s speakers, a DJ that played wonderful music, talks on autism in SA and a few performers by guest artists.
I enjoyed being part of a wonderful and prosocial event such as the walk, as it raised awareness about autism in South Africa and how people’s knowledge about it matters, as any individual in one’s family or close one can be autistic. As a volunteer at the event I felt proud and happy to give my time and effort in mobilising and empowering for autism in South Africa, building my network with school and NPO’s that specialize with autism which was a benefit to my knowledge and experience with autism. Being at the zoo also gave me the opportunity to reflect on my childhood memories of school trips to the zoo and also getting to see animals face to face.
The collaborative contributions by the different schools and organizations that stand for Autism. The Jozi4autism walk stood out for me as these types of event is pro-social to the community and families that have autistic individuals. The way and the context of the event was outstanding as it was very natural and calming to participants, as people got the opportunity to explore the zoo and the animals while partaking the walk.
