Dementia Action Week spotlight: The Bessie Makatini Foundation
Dementia Action Week is a time to reflect on some of the brilliant projects that are changing lives for those living with dementia, and their carers. The Bessie Makatini Foundation (BMF) is a community-based organisation supporting people living with dementia and their carers across urban, peri-urban, rural and underserved communities in South Africa.
The organisation was founded in honour of Bessie Makatini, a nurse and mother whose dementia journey revealed the deep inequalities in access to care. Her daughter, Zethu, living in the UK and working in the NHS, visited South Africa regularly after her mother’s diagnosis in 2009. She witnessed first-hand that while her own family could afford private support, people in low income areas, especially in townships and rural communities, had almost no services at all. Before her passing in 2012, she made a promise to her mother to create an organisation that would bring help, knowledge, and dignity to families facing dementia with far fewer resources. With the support of friends and colleagues, that promise became the Bessie Makatini Foundation.
The Bessie Makatini Foundation benefited from Disruption Award funding in 2025 to raise awareness and strengthen its community support initiatives. Demand for services had grown sharply, yet the foundation had little financial support and was considering cutting services. The funding stabilised the organisation which continues serving vulnerable families who rely on its fantastic work.
Amongst its brilliant services, weekly broadcasts on community radio (Izwi Lomzansi) reach thousands across urban and semi-rural areas. Many referrals come directly from these programmes where carers join on air, in churches, and at community events to share their stories and encourage others to seek support. Face-to-face and online support groups also provide guidance, reassurance, or crisis support for carers. Webinars with UK-based dementia specialists give South African carers access to global best practice and peer learning and referral pathways to memory clinics help families navigate the process of obtaining a formal diagnosis, a major barrier in rural and low-income communities.
As a direct result of funding, the foundation has been able to strengthen its Elonwabeni partnership and expanded its Kokstad programme, as well as make significant inroads into the Eastern Cape, reaching communities previously untouched by dementia services.
Have a spark that could brighten life with dementia? Grants of up to £15,000 are available to individuals, groups and organisations ready to turn thoughtful ideas into practical change alongside people living with dementia and their carers.
Find out more about The Disruption Awards by visiting: https://dementiatrust.org/disruption-awards
