NIRVANA

Suicide does not look at faces, gender, religion, status, the poor, the rich, the strong person, the weak person, popularity, or even geography. It can affect anyone.

In Mauritius, a recent report showed that from January to May 2026, 62 persons, including 4 minors, ended their life by suicide, indicating a rise of 35%. Men being the majority with 51 cases compared to 11 women.

As per the WHO – World Health Organisation, every year more than 720,000 people die due to suicide.

The mission of Befrienders Worldwide is to provide confidential emotional support to people who are experiencing feelings of distress, who are at a time of crisis or experiencing loneliness and having suicidal thoughts.

The Role of Befrienders Mauritius

Befrienders Mauritius is an NGO offering emotional support to people in need through active listening, caring, empathy, and support.

I believe that Befrienders help people in distress by guiding them towards their inner ray of light and hope when everything goes dark.

The 3 pillars of Befrienders:

• Anonymous
• Confidential
• Non-Judgmental

Befrienders is not counselling or psychotherapy.

Befrienders Mauritius provides emotional support by phone including WhatsApp, face-to-face, in institutions, and through awareness campaigns across the island. All the services being free of cost and operates from 9:00 to 21:00 daily.

Why I Became a Befriender

I believe that each one of us has atleast once in our life experienced feelings of despair, disappointment, betrayal, shame, loneliness, sadness, grief, and loss. During these difficult moments, we can think of a person who was there for us and listened to us. I want to be this person for other people in distress.

I know people in my life who had suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide but at that time I was too young or did not have that maturity to see the signs and it was much later that I became aware of it.

The biggest lesson that Befrienders taught me is to ask for help when I need it and empower people to ask for help when they need it by listening and being with them in difficult times. I believe that asking for help is one of the greatest acts of courage.

Training to Become a Befriender

Befrienders Mauritius provides an intensive ten-weeks training to volunteers covering important aspects such as:

• Aim of people commiting suicide

Some people want to commit suicide to put an end to their suffering, to self-punish themselves, or in the grief of a loved one who passed away. Others want to send a message through their suicide. The aim is different for every person.

• Feelings of the suicidal person

Their feelings may include feelings of despair, helplessness, low self-esteem, deep sadness, guilt, physical pain from an illness, no sense of belonging, or feeling rejected.

• Detecting the Suicide Risk Level

Befrienders are trained to conduct a Suicide Risk Assessment and the Suicide Risk Level ranging from Level 0, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. This gives an indication of the intention of the person and whether the person is having suicidal thoughts or has any plan of commiting suicide.

• Communication

Thoughout the training, Befrienders are trained on how to ask open-ended questions, foster empathy through active listening, and listen to what is being unsaid. Awareness of body language and non-verbal communication are also taken into consideration during face-to-face befriending.

• Awareness of Mental Health Disorders

Awareness sessions are conducted by clinical psychologists where mental health disorders are discussed such as depression, panic disorders, schizophrenia, post traumatic stress disorders, bipolar disorder, and dementia, among others. Warning signs are also discussed such as the warning signs of depression.

• Young or Minor Callers

The recent years have seen a rise in young or minor callers often related to situations such as bullying, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, heartbreaks, or conflicting relationships, among others. PedoStop organised an awareness session on the subject of abuse on minors and the Mauritian law with regards to these cases.

• Difficult or manipulative callers

It is not always easy to be a befriender because we also get calls from difficult, manipulative, or sexual callers. However, the training also taught us how to set our boundaries though politely.

• Roleplays

Roleplays involved real-case scenarios between the caller and befriender which is a very important part of the training because we are exposed to different situations.

• Self-care as a Befriender

When we volunteer as Befrienders, we need to take care of ourselves including our physical, mental, and emotional health. Compassion fatigue is also an important aspect of the training where we learn how to cope with it.

My Final Reflection

Through collective awareness in suicide prevention and offering emotional support, we can help people in distress, experiencing loneliness, and having suicidal thoughts.

We can begin in our own community and encourage people to seek help when they require it. We can always check-up on the people who are close to us, our friends and family.

Maybe you can ask yourself the question, “What can I do in my own community to raise awareness in suicide prevention?”

As a volunteer of Befrienders, I look forward to continue offering emotional support to people in need. Anyone who is going through tough times, remember that you are not alone.

Yashna Veera

Volunteer at Befrienders Mauritius