Our Mission is:

To give love, support and care to the mentally and physically disabled at the Umgeni Psychiatric Hospital in Howick, KZN, South Africa

Parents & Friends of Umgeni (FOU) is a registered non-profit organisation which was founded in 1978 by a group of friends and parents who together realized the need to improve the quality of life of the patients at Umgeni Hospital in Howick. All the patients require long term care, and for many the hospital is the only home they know, yet unfortunately they are also a forgotten community when it comes to charity and donations.

Friends of Umgeni rely solely on donations and subscriptions. The committee is under the chairmanship of Mrs Delene van der Westhuyzen, and consists of volunteers who give freely of their time and expertise to raise funds for the various projects undertaken each year. All funds raised are used for the patients.

FOU provides amenities that are not provided by the government and promote social and recreational activities which are vital for the patient’s wellbeing. We co-ordinate local community projects, raise funds and encourage local business to sponsor where possible. Friends of Umgeni have members afar a field as the USA, and approximately 100 in South Africa.

Projects that Friends of Umgeni have recently funded or organized

• Memorial plaques for the deceased patients.
• Shadecloth erected outside the wards where patients sit.
• Playground facilities, garden benches, computers for the one-on-one therapy.
• TV’s for the wards.
• A splint programme to help with the bathing of the severely disabled.
• Specific wheelchairs where needed.
• Purchased a piano to host choir concerts for the patients which they love.
• Co-ordinate community donations and gifts of knitted items or clothing.
• Provide parties, outings and birthday functions for the patients, of which our annual Christmas party is the highlight of the year!

We work in co-operation with the management of the hospital to identify needs and support hospital events and activities for the patients eg. sports days.

The Friends of Umgeni committee is only able to achieve this vision because of people who give meaning to the motto:

“Because somebody cared, and somebody did something, a child smiled and was comforted”