PARKINSON’S ZA has invited the public to its annual Big Walk in Durban this weekend, to celebrate World Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

Rakesh Haribhai, who started the non-profit organisation in Durban almost three years ago says that Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest growing neurodegenerative disease, affecting 10 million people globally, but that hasn't stopped those affected from being active and having fun.

In fact, their Monday morning table tennis games at the NMJ Hall in Morningside are popular, said Haribhai, while two members of the Durban Parkinson's ZA group even participated in a world table tennis tournament for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

“This is the third year that we’ll be having the walk and last year we attracted almost 200 people. So I think all of that does create awareness and the members themselves have become ambassadors of the programme. I field on average about five to six emails from interested parties every day,”

The Big Walk takes place from 9am to 11am at Snake Park Beach and everyone is welcome including “wheelchairs, walkers and strollers.”

Haribhai established Parkinson’s ZA in August 2022 after building a support network for his mother, who had the disease. His vision is to extend this model to others on a similar journey, with plans to replicate it in metropolitan areas across the country. The official support group gathers at the Kendra Hall in Overport on Thursday, and a new programme has been piloted at the Beth Shalom Retirement Home in Musgrave.

Additionally, Parkinson’s ZA will open its first centre in Kenilworth, Cape Town, on April 12.

“And once we had the metros going, we would then basically tackle more peri-urban areas. And the strategy is very much the same as our partners in India, the Parkinson's Movement and Disorder Society in India, that has now done this across 60 centers in India over the last 20 years.”

Haribhai said they were licensed to use the same programme in South Africa which was “rudimentary in nature” and could be delivered by a nurse or caregiver.

“The intention is that once we have established our centres we can replicate the programme in rural areas with less qualified personnel.”

The disease affects muscle control, balance and movement, but can also affect your senses, thinking ability and mental health.

“Support groups are important because people with Parkinson's tend to get left in their homes and have very insular lives because they’re embarrassed to get out. They’re obviously scared and apprehensive in terms of their movement, speech, the ability to basically have a meal without messing or things like that. But when you put them in a group with people that they don't have to explain anything to, that just boosts their confidence.”

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Join the annual Big Walk for Parkinson’s