Forty-seven years ago, the LifeLine service was brought to South Africa by Rev. Peter Storey, from its beginnings in Australia. Some of the prominent figures that have been associated with LifeLine over the years include Rev. Beyers Naude and Bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

LifeLine South Africa’s core business is Mental Health and Emotional Wellness. Annually, on a national level, over 1.6 million people utilise its telephone and face-to-face counselling services and benefit from its various community projects. LifeLine Zululand is affiliated to LifeLine National , however, remains as an independent centre with its own NPO registration number: 002-544. All centres in South Africa are autonomous i.e. self-directed, self- governing, are self-funded, relying on grants, donors and income generating streams in order to function. There are more than 17 LifeLine Centres spread across all provinces in South Africa. In KwaZulu Natal there are three independent centres, i.e. LifeLine Pietermaritzburg, LifeLine Durban and LifeLine Zululand.

Approximately 75% of LifeLine Zululand’s current interventions relate to Gender-Based Violence, HIV/AIDS and Teenage Pregnancy. LifeLine Zululand believes that an emotionally-well person copes better with life’s challenges, has higher self-esteem, and maintains a more meaningful and satisfying relationship within diverse cultural societies.

LifeLine Zululand was established by Norman Midwood in 1987 with its first point of presence being in Empangeni. Today more than 35years later the centre has grown to having 54 point of presence,2 x white door temporary shelters, 2 x crisis centres, supporting 2 x rape crisis centres in Northern KwaZulu Natal. The current capacity of 180 incl. the Chief Executive Officer, Operations Manager, Finance and Project Managers and a host of qualified social workers, nurses, and social auxiliary workers making up the team. The Organisation is established on its constitution and set of policies and guidelines, as such, have created a respected reputation with funders, donors grant management agencies, local and big businesses as well as the communities in which the organisation operates including its beneficiaries.

Over the years LifeLine Zululand has provided high quality service to the communities through a well organised infrastructure offering counselling, containment, community initiatives, empowerment and development capacity building and outreach service. Through these services, LifeLine Zululand gained a core group of trained facilitators and counsellors, who are equipped to initiate a mushrooming programme of Community based partnerships to enhance Emotional Wellness towards Social and Behaviour Change, e.g., dynamic reduction of stigma in communities and increase on reporting sexual assault, domestic violence and other social ills that communities have accepted as normal. LifeLine Zululand has learned to utilise dialogues regarding sensitive matters e.g. gender-driven behaviour, learning through peer interventions and personal growth programmes in order to engage community members in a leadership role focused on enhancing mental health and emotional wellbeing of their communities and finding workable solutions for societal monsters like Gender Based Violence, Stigma and Discrimination.