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Billie Du Plessis (RWVL)

Billie Du Plessis (RWVL)

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Organisation / Affiliation: Mental Wellness Initiative (MWI)
Languages: English and Afrikaans

Advocacy Areas

  • Women, Peace and Security
  • Youth mental health and wellbeing

Billie Du Plessis is passionate about promoting mental health and wellness practices that support healing from trauma. She believes healing requires time, courage and support, and wants to bring trauma informed tools to younger people, including university students, so they can begin their healing journeys earlier. Her advocacy focuses on making mental wellness knowledge practical, accessible and community centred.

Background

Billie is a social justice advocate whose work focuses on youth development, mental wellness and community empowerment. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Johannesburg and has hands-on research experience, including recognition as part of a Top Achiever Research Team. Her experience spans corporate and non-profit spaces, including HR and operations support at Kandua, programme work with Mental Wellness Initiative, volunteer management with UNICEF UJ Club, child safeguarding training, and media and communications exposure through job shadowing with South African media professionals.

Areas of Expertise

  • Community leadership and advocacy
  • Programme and event management
  • Human resources and operations
  • Sociological and psychological insights

Current Projects / Work

Billie is involved in the Hare Foleng Sechaba Project, funded by the Ford Foundation and implemented with the Center for Mental Wellness and Leadership and Lekwape Consulting. The project works with communities in Virginia, Free State on trauma informed practice, breathwork, meditation and trauma release exercises. She also contributes to the MWI Trauma Informed Programme funded by Gender Links, which includes workshops on trauma, the River of Life, Shadow Work, Integration and Train the Trainer approaches.

Affiliations

  • Mental Wellness Initiative, Intern and Programme Coordinator
  • NextGen Advocates, Volunteer
  • UNICEF UJ, Executive Member and Volunteer Manager

Social Media / Website

  • Instagram: mwi_southafrica
  • Facebook: Mental Wellness Initiative
  • LinkedIn: Mental Wellness Initiative
  • Website: https://mwi.org.za/
  • Personal Instagram: billy_24th
  • Facebook: Billie Du Plessis
  • LinkedIn: Billie Du Plessis