SEPARATING THE DEMONS FROM DEMENTIA B
errie Holtzhausen started an old-age home for thirteen people in Swakopmund in 2009. Moved especially by the plight of dementia sufferers, Berrie started to learn about the disease and subsequently started Alzheimer’s Dementia Namibia.
Little did he know then that his compassion would open a Pandora’s box of ancient customs, fear, superstition, and lack of education regarding mental illness in traditional rural Africa, where dementia can result in sufferers being ostracized, imprisoned, neglected and even abused by their own families and communities. While visiting a bush community in a remote Himba village in 2012, he came across a woman chained to a post in a mud hut. Accused of being a witch, she had been there for over twenty years. He immediately diagnosed her with dementia. Berrie proceeded to negotiate her release and began his mission to prevent the mentally ill from being drugged, chained or murdered. Compelled by this experience, Berrie started a relentless and challenging journey to find and help more sufferers, to create awareness, to campaign against the witchcraft culture that drives inhumane and unconstitutional practices, and to fight for change.
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