SA Diabetes Advocacy Course

SA Diabetes Advocacy offers an online 4-week Advocacy Training Course

We want to empower as many diabetes advocates as we can.

Sign up here

In the course we will cover …

Week 1: Diabetes in South Africa

Week 2: Diabetes Education

Week 3: Advocacy Strategy

Week 4: Collaboration and Cohesion

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Meet the Course Facilitators

  • Lindie Motsoane

    Lindie Motsoane is a diabetes advocate, author, and writer. She serves as Blue Circle Voice under International Diabetes Federation. She works with newly diagnosed individuals and their families, providing education and raising awareness to empower communities affected by diabetes. Lindie is currently doing her practicals for Social Auxiliary Worker studies, and is a mother to three beautiful children.

  • Lurina Fourie

    Lurina Fourie, aka “The Glucose Glitch,” is a diabetes support specialist and global advocate with 26 years of lived experience with Type 1 diabetes. She works across schools, workplaces, and healthcare settings to improve diabetes awareness. She also trains healthcare professionals and lectures medical students, bringing vital patient perspectives into clinical education. She approaches her advocacy with creativity and authenticity. Her goal is to create more comfortable, informed, and inclusive environments for everyone touched by diabetes. 

  • Sarah Winkelmann

    Sarah Winkelmann is an E-Commerce and Social Media Manager with a passion for diabetes advocacy. Sarah’s husband has been living with Type 1 diabetes since he was 16, which has given her first-hand experience of the effects of diabetes on individuals and families. Sarah has witnessed the great difference that access to accurate information and technology can make to those living with diabetes. She aims to use this insight to support and inspire new diabetes advocates so they can use their voices to create meaningful change.

  • Kirsten de Klerk

    Kirsten de Klerk is the co-founder of SA Diabetes Advocacy (SADA) and currently also the Chairperson. She has served as an International Diabetes Federation Young Leader, leveraging lived experience to influence access to care for people living with diabetes in South Africa. Kirsten has a passion for CGM access and accuracy as well as bridging the communication gap between healthcare teams and people living with diabetes.

FAQ

  • No - this online course is entirely FREE.

  • To empower people living with diabetes, and people caring for those with diabetes, to create meaningful change in South Africa. We want to give you all the tools and knowledge and strategy to make a difference in the lives of those with diabetes.

    We’ve specifically designed it to be super helpful, interactive and not overwhelming. We know how much you have going on in your lives already! This will be (dare we say it?) fun.

  • While we share some really helpful articles and links to find out more information, this is not a diabetes education course. We’ll show you where to get educated if that’s what you want to do, but our focus here is on advocacy. We want to give you the tools you need to speak up for people about diabetes.

    While some of the information might seem obvious, we want to ensure we are all on the same page, to prevent confusion.

  • Each week, we all gather together to talk about the topic of the week for 1 hour. It’s a chance for each person to share their opinions, ideas, thoughts and suggestions with like-minded people – and know that you will be heard. It’s also a chance to form connections with your fellow advocates, and see how you might want to collaborate.

    We have purposefully kept the class small so that every person will have a chance to share their thoughts each week on Zoom.

  • Access to a collaborative WhatsApp Diabetes Advocacy community.

    • Certificate of completion to share on LinkedIn.

    • SA Diabetes Advocate badge to share on social media.

    • A Digital Toolkit to use in your campaigns.

    • All the skills and knowledge you need to make a change.

  • We are not talking about picketing and striking and aggression. We’re talking about meaningful engagement with the people who can make decisions about the rights of people with diabetes.


    We support a positive, collaborative approach to advocacy.

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  • Testimonials

    “The advocacy training programme has expanded my knowledge in two ways; firstly my understanding of the challenges of those living with diabetes and secondly how I am able to extend the message of awareness.”

    Helga Nefdt

  • Testimonials

    “As a South African Type 1 Diabetic I found the Diabetes Advocacy course to be truly inspirational especially since Diabetes education is exactly what we need in our country.”

    Naeem Sonpra

  • Testimonials

    “The diabetes advocacy course was a great introduction into the world of advocacy and areas where we need to be more active as activists within the South African diabetes community. It was also a great platform to meet like-minded individuals”.

    Shelly Schutte

  • Testimonials

    “For me the diabetes advocacy training opened my mind to being more strategic in my approach to getting my (our) voices heard as people living with diabetes. When I initially started my advocacy it was very selfish and what I envisioned a better journey would look like. Once I did the training I was open to strategic and targeted approaches to get a message across.”

    Sane Mazibuko

  • Testimonials

    “Thank you. I really enjoyed the Diabetes Advocacy course and found it very informative and enjoyed meeting new Diafam.”

    Renate Moolman

  • Testimonials

    “The 4-week SA Diabetes Advocacy course not only helped to identify the key areas where advocacy was needed in South Africa, but it also helped to shape and refine a workable plan, as well as to motivate me to see the dire need in our nation. I made invaluable connections with other key advocates, and look forward to practically putting a plan into action.”

    Gillian Fraser