The family of a 52-year-old man in the Western Equatoria State capital, Yambio, on Tuesday said he has recovered from mental illness after living with the condition for over two decades.
According to family sources, Kamilo Gbagara Bangbadi first showed signs of mental illness in the early 1990s and soon left home and started wandering the streets.
His brother, John Wingba Bangbadi, told Radio Tamazuj that Gbagara was once a hardworking businessman who plied his trade between South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo but after a violent incident with a girlfriend, which led to his arrest, his mental health collapsed, and he spent years in what the family described as “madness.”
“For over 20 years, we tried traditional healers and churches, but nothing helped,” Wingba disclosed. “Recently, he fell sick at Yambio’s open market, and after receiving some medicine, he started recovering. By the grace of God, he has regained his senses, though not yet fully healed.”
On Tuesday, a local organization, the Care for Humanity, visited Gbagara at his home and gave him soap, clothes, and shoes.
Michael Peter Dakpari, the organization’s executive director, said, “We came to support him because regaining health after 20 years of madness is not easy. This small gesture is to help him restore dignity and reduce stress.”
He appealed to well-wishers and organizations to extend more support, stressing that many people in Western Equatoria are facing similar struggles.
For her part, Jackline Minisar, the organization’s finance officer, said it is their mission to care for those in need.
“We call upon everyone to support Kamilo as he continues to recover from his long battle with madness,” she said.
Gbagara’s family confirmed that he is now living at home in Yambio and showing signs of stability, but said he still requires medical follow-up and community assistance.