Attending the in-person caregiver program facilitated by Christina Were changed my life as a family caregiver for good. What a relief from one of the creative sessions to put a name to what I had been struggling with and to know that it actually not unusual – caregiver guilt!  Recognising my own triggers including my tendency for perfectionism,  being a long distance caregiver and expectations of others. Then,  realisation that although I looked all put together I was actually shattered. The program began my journey of piecing my life together again. I really enjoyed it and look forward to attending many more. Duncan

This has been a wonderful program addressing the challenges that caregivers face. The  importance of caregivers understanding and processing what they are through so that they can cope better came through so clearly.  I realise that I need to care for myself spirit, soul and body. I learnt how to work through the complex family dynamics in caregiving situations including communication, conflict, decision making,  lack of emotional and/or financial support from family members amongst others. I also now know what considerations to take when deciding about getting in-home assistance. The government needs to recognise the important role family caregivers play and support these programs. Julius Guda

The caregiver program really helped me a lot. I realised that I was not alone going through compassion fatigue and burnout out. I would wouldn’t mind more sessions in future and highly recommend it for any caregiver who might be feeling stuck and not knowing what to do. L.O.

As a caregiver of more than 13 years, attending the Tunzocare Africa program has helped me immensely to understand that as a caregiver it is OK to feel tired, to not have and stretch out your hands to ask for help. It is also important not to put my own life at a standstill but to practice self-care. The program has also helped me to understand my care recipient’s moods and reactions which before had seemed like rejection of me and lack of appreciation of my best efforts. I have also learnt to have more realistic expectations of myself and others so that I can focus on my caregiving situation and not to forget the Almighty God to always give me strength and resource to forge ahead. Anne Akali

Attending the family caregiver sessions helped me to understand the different signs and stages of caregiver burnout, several of which I could identify with. The self care tips provided during the training helped me to acknowledge how I felt about caregiving which is an important first step to taking other actions to help the caregiver cope with the stress and avid burn out. The words ‘take one day at a time’ gained new meaning for me. Kui N