Germany’s Self-Help Day: strong local groups, stronger together
On 16 September, Germany celebrates its second nationwide Tag der Selbsthilfe – Self-Help Day, under the motto #GemeinsamStark – Strong Together.
It is not one single national event. Instead, 16 September provides a common framework for activities organised locally throughout Germany by self-help groups, contact centres and other organisations. One of these is the Frankfurter Selbsthilfetag, taking place at the VHS Frankfurt, where the local vasculitis SHG will also be present.
What is a Selbsthilfegruppe?
A German Selbsthilfegruppe (SHG) is not quite the same as a national patient organisation. It is usually a local group of people affected by the same health condition who meet regularly to exchange experiences, information and mutual support.
Patient organisations often combine three important functions: peer support, patient information and patient advocacy. In an SHG, the emphasis is mainly on the first of these: peer support. Personal contact and the exchange of experiences between people living with the same condition are at its heart.
Information and advocacy can certainly also be part of an SHG’s work, but these functions often become more prominent when groups cooperate at regional, national or international level.
Why this matters for vasculitis
This local character can be particularly valuable for people living with a rare disease such as vasculitis. An SHG offers something larger organisations cannot always provide: personal contact with people nearby who understand what living with the disease means.
At the same time, rare diseases make wider cooperation essential. Individual vasculitis SHGs are often small and cannot be expected to have all the information, expertise or contacts they need.
This is exactly why Vasculitis International is encouraging connections between local vasculitis groups. SHGs from Frankfurt, Sachsen, Mainz and Nord-Bayern are already part of our growing network, while we continue to build links with other groups in Germany.
The aim is not to replace the local character of these groups, but to strengthen it: peer support close to home, combined with shared knowledge, experience and contacts across regions and borders.
That makes #GemeinsamStark – Strong Together a particularly appropriate message for the vasculitis community.