Alumnus shines on three coveted lists
- Wits Alumni Relations
Sikander Kalla acknowledged for his leadership and advocacy for mental health.
In the space of a few weeks Witsie Sikander Kalla (BA Hons 2016) has managed to be included in three coveted lists.
He is one of two Witsies who made it on to the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 class list of 2022, the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans as well as being named among 50 world leaders at the Pan African Youth Leadership Global Summit 2022 held on 23 July 2022.
In all three accolades Kalla was acknowledged for being an advocate for mental health, which has been negatively affected by the pandemic. “The pandemic has made us realise that valuing our mental health should not be deemed a luxury, but rather a neces
sity that is essential to any framework of functioning that embodies values of optimised wellbeing, sustainable solutions,” he said.
The 29-year-old clinical psychologist is founder of Cohesive Collaboration, which offers mental health consulting services to corporates, based in Sandton. He also has a consulting position at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences and is on the Health Sciences Committee.
He wrote to Wits Alumni Relations, saying: “It means that I am receiving recognition for the years of effort that I have put into integrating health and business in ways that enrich the global economy, as well as normalising the entrepreneurial spirit and ambition of medical professionals on the continent. It is also great to spotlight mental health on such a grand scale. It serves as testament to the impactful work being done by my brand (Cohesive Collaboration) within the mental health landscape, both domestically and internationally.”
He said his origins informed his perspective on therapy: “I am the biracial son of an African Pedi mother that comes from a Northern Sotho-speaking Christian working-class family and a Muslim father that comes from an English-speaking middle-class family. While growing up, I had to navigate through the intricacies and dynamics of race, religion, class, culture and language.
“It was this background that sparked my interest in psycho-therapeutically connecting with people and having them entrust me with their diverse stories, so that we could put the pieces of the puzzle together in a cohesive manner and collaborate on their mental health,” he said.
He said he wished to be a source of inspiration to others: “Alumni also need to remember that the power to inspire, develop and optimise others also comes with the responsibility to keep conducting themselves with the integrity and ongoing innovative development to command and sustain such inspiration.”