The Eswatini Epilepsy Organization thrives on balancing the quality of services offered to all its stakeholders and / or beneficiaries. The organization’s main focus is on ensuring the needs of all either living with or affected by epilepsy are made a reality, either at school at the workplace or in societies they live in. The environment that epilepsy patients live in should be one that accommodates and celebrates their diversity, capabilities and skills.
The main beneficiaries of the organization that are of utmost importance are its clients, that is, the people living with epilepsy together with their care givers. Majorities of those living with epilepsy, especially new clients, need factual information about conditions that will enlighten them on what exactly is happening to them. The SEO then takes the lead role in educating and informing the patient about epilepsy, especially about the fact that to be born epilepsy free does not necessarily mean one will be immune to it, but epilepsy is a condition that can develop at any time and any stage in life. The education is meant to help the patients understand and realize that it is possible to reach their full potential even whilst living with epilepsy. The first step is to seek the relevant medical attention from Health Care Practitioners (HCP) who will properly diagnose the condition and prescribe the relevant Anti Epileptic Drugs (AED’S).
This helps minimize, or even totally eliminate all the hazardous beliefs and practices that the nation implements in regards to epilepsy treatment. This is to share that the applicable support needed by a patient, especially young children is accessible. Such acts encourages older patient to declare their epilepsy status as well as guardians/parents to declare the status of the child. Hence, this information is confidential to the organization - epilepsy patient are never publicized, but all their discussions are handled with maximum sensitivity. They are able to disclose freely and openly all the challenges that they face in their daily living.
The EEO is determined to reach its quality service delivery through attractive sponsorship from different companies. The organization capitalizes on cohesive communication with these sponsors on how to better represent them towards the public, especially in areas where they fail to access physically. By sponsoring, the companies are acknowledged in all publicity activities which are meant on strengthening the relationship with the sponsor. Further, the organization markets these sponsors in different, sustainable platforms that enable the sponsor to break into near markets and broaden its target market base. Moreover, this result in a bigger market share for the companies in giving them a competitive advantage over their competitors.
Depending on the depth of the sponsorship, the organizations co-brand its promotional and informative material with the sponsor. These include co-branded epilepsy banners, t-shirts, pamphlets and may more promotional materials. This means that wherever and whenever the organization is featured, could it be during television interviews or community outreach programs, the sponsor is marketed.
It is prudent to note that in Eswatini, majorities of those either living with or affected by epilepsy live below the poverty line. This is mainly as a result of the continuous increase in number of students dropping out of school due to severe epileptic seizures experienced. This increases the number of patients who end up being unemployable. As a consequence, these patients require training and nurturing of skills which result in the initiation of income generating projects through the formulation of epilepsy support groups which are further empowered with income generating projects. These projects are not only limited to epilepsy patients but further encourages the society at large to realize that they have a role to play on epilepsy issues through their participating on these projects. In doing so, the unemployment rate decreases, thus decreasing the poverty rate. Also, the society itself gets developed, producing skilled and equipped labor. By so doing, the number of individuals who solely rely on hand outs from the organization or government for basic food provisions declines thus eliminating the donor syndrome through empowering the kingdom’s communities.
To add, the organization sometimes affiliates with other organizations that also exist to create awareness about other chronic illnesses. This gives the audience broader information about epilepsy together with other silent killers. In some instances it has occurred that some patients tend to experience seizures due to taking drugs for other chronic illnesses, for example cancer and diabetes. This creates epilepsy awareness on its own as it highlights the fact that not every seizure or fit is a result of epilepsy. Eswatini Epilepsy Organization realizes the importance of unity in moving forward, hence its partnership with other national and international organization so to strengthen its efforts of bringing about a significant to those affected and afflicted by the neurological condition – epilepsy.
