Theme: 2023 looking into 2024
The year 2023 was fantastic for the organisation, and despite the hurdles, we hope that the year 2024 will bring even greater success to our work. We reached out to many families of people living with dementia in 2023, held many workshops to raise dementia awareness, and collaborated with other organisations that not only supported our drive to raise dementia awareness in the diaspora but also in Africa and the United States of America. For example, we supported Sisters/Brothers True Love Group International (SBTLGI), a US-based non-governmental and non-profiting making organisation, tackling homelessness, and supporting widowers, orphans, and overall, the less privileged, not only in America but in Africa as well. DECEW supported many SBTLGI mega-outreaches in Nigeria, notably in Bauchi, Nasarawa, Abia, and River States. DECEW took advantage of the opportunity to raise dementia awareness, and we want to partner with additional groups in 2024 and beyond. We are also collaborating with other groups in Kenya to promote the principles of education for the “Boy Child” while simultaneously using the chance to raise dementia awareness. Overall, partnerships with other groups have opened additional options for identifying more needs of individuals living with dementia in Africa, where dementia is still largely unknown and is frequently misdiagnosed. We recognise that more needs to be done and we will do so in 2024 and beyond. We are confident that 2024 will be another successful year in terms of dementia awareness and other initiatives.
As previously said, in the United Kingdom, we work with many families of individuals living with dementia to help them better understand the needs of their loved ones who have dementia. Much of our work is centred on delivering seminars aimed at identifying requirements prior to a dementia diagnosis, therefore preparing families for the path ahead and the challenges of supporting someone with dementia. We also emphasise the necessity of early diagnosis, the involvement of various professionals in dementia diagnosis, the value of activities for individuals with dementia, the importance of communication in dementia care, and, most crucially, the management of life after a dementia diagnosis. We also promote the role of other dementia organisations and charities that specialise in providing activities for people living with dementia. For example, the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA), Age UK, Dementia UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and more. At DECEW, we believe that the battle to understand dementia, is multifaceted, hence, at any given opportunity, we promote the role of dementia organisations that create awareness of the condition and work to support families with people living with the condition.
People of African and Caribbean heritage have played a significant role in global history for ages. Despite this, there is a widespread belief that African and Caribbean organisations, as well as those associated with them, must do more to educate and raise awareness about the benefits of a diverse society, the role of black communities, and the struggles of those communities in places such as the United Kingdom, particularly in health and social care. 2023 however, proved that when people and communities work together, more can be accomplished, even though we recognise that more needs to be done and sustained in the future if we are to break down the barriers that frequently impede social cohesion, diversity, inclusion, and equality, especially in health and social care provisions and specifically in the continent of Africa. We, therefore, call on other voluntary organisations, businesses, NGOs, governments, etc, to see the new year, 2024, as a time to join hands with other dementia organisations to continue to create more awareness of dementia.
We want to use this opportunity to thank our supporters who have continued to support our work despite the challenges of recent years. We also want to thank individuals, too many to name, for their relentless support of our work and our identity. As stated earlier, the battle against dementia cannot be won by organisations “doing their own thing”. We must work together to spread the word beyond our immediate communities, because, although some communities in some countries such as the United Kingdom may be in tune as to what to do before and after a dementia diagnosis, many communities in many countries, do not. Furthermore, in the continent of Africa, there are very few dementia organisations that vigorously promote dementia awareness. We want to identify those that exist, work with them to make dementia diagnosis less stigmatised, and reduce the perception of what “illness” people living with dementia may or may not have. It will not be easy, but we are determined to change the narrative, however small.
As 2023 draws to an end, and we head into a new year, 2024, we want to reassure everyone that we will continue to create more awareness of dementia and we call on anyone who would like to present a case study, collaborate with us, sponsor us, volunteer with us, or just share their experience with dementia, to email us at, chinno@decew.co.uk and events@decew.co.uk. You should also visit our website, www.decew.co.uk and click on the donations page if you want to help the organisation to continue to grow. Your donation enables us to continue our work to increase dementia awareness and understanding. We can make a difference if we work together.
Finally, the Team at DECEW wishes you a glorious festive Christmas, a great end to 2023, and a wonderful, prosperous, peaceful 2024 and beyond. Merry Christmas and see you soon. Stay safe, stay healthy, and #BeDementiaAware.
Thank you.
Chinno Wills-Cole (CEO/Co-Founder)