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VALUES IN HEALTHCARE
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA
In a world of constant care, who cares for the caregivers?
VIHASA offers an inner voyage for healthcare and service professionals - rooted in values, guided by inner peace and positivity, and sustained by community. Discover tools for self-care to restore resilience, compassion, and purpose in your work and life.
ABOUT VIHASA
ROOTED IN PURPOSE
VIHASA is a professional modular programme designed for personal and team development. Born from the need to uplift those who serve, we offer a space for healthcare and service professionals to reconnect with their inner strength, rediscover meaning in their work, and build communities rooted in compassion and resilience. Our story is one of healing, hope, and shared humanity.
AN INSIDE-OUT VALUES-BASED SPIRITUAL APPROACH
INNER STRENGTH AS THE STARTING POINT
We believe that true healing begins within. Before we can care for others, we must reconnect with our own inner resources - peace, love, positivity, and compassion. These qualities are not just ideals; they are practical tools for resilience in the face of daily challenges.
Spirituality, for us, is not a belief system; it’s a way of being. It’s the quiet strength that guides our thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and actions. Through experiential tools like meditation, reflection, listening, visualisation, appreciation, play, and creative expression, we help professionals rediscover their core values and bring them into their work.
When values like cooperation, compassion, and self-care are consciously practiced, they transform the caregiving experience. Our approach empowers individuals and teams to cultivate these values, not just as concepts, but as living practices that restore morale, deepen connection, and prevent burnout.
VIHASA Africa is part of a global Initiative that honors the dignity of both the caregiver and the cared-for. Our spiritual foundation is what makes this work sustainable, inclusive, and transformative - across hospitals, universities, NGOs, and communities.
TOGETHER IN PURPOSE
Partnering with changemakers who lead with compassion, build resilience, and prioritize care for the carers.
IMPACT AND REACH
AN INITIATIVE ROOTED IN SERVICE
Since 2005, VIHASA has supported healthcare and service professionals across South Africa and now we have expanded to support service providers from all professions who need care - offering experiential workshops, values-based training, and retreats to uplift those who care for others.
SOUTH AFRICA: DEEP ROOTS IN CARE
VIHASA has offered monthly modules in Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, supporting healthcare workers across South Africa. Workshops have been held in government hospitals such as King Dinuzulu, Addington, Grey’s, RK Khan, Mahatma Gandhi, Montebello, and Stanger, Phoenix, Tongaat Community Health Centres, Phelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein, and workshops in Pretoria and Gqeberha. The Department of Health (DOH) in KwaZulu-Natal Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) has hosted monthly sessions with up to 80 attendees from all across KZN at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH).
Private sector outreach includes LifeHealthcare and Netcare staff in KZN and Gauteng. Educational institutions like Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, University of Cape Town, University of Limpopo, Fort Hare, Potchefstroom, and several nursing colleges - including Ann Latsky, Lilita, Grey’s, and Mpumalanga - have hosted modules, alongside interns at Groote Schuur Hospital. VIHASA’s presence at the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFP) Conference has led to proposals for curriculum integration.
The program has partnered with NGOs such as Family and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA), National Hospice, South African Theatre Staff (SATS), Olive Leaf Foundation, Red Cross, LifeLine, Childline, AIDS Response, and Mothers to Mothers (M2M), and worked with the Department of Social Development in Grahamstown and Humansdorp. It has also reached hospice networks, school nurses, SATS Theatre Nurses, and healthcare staff within the SA National Defense Force and the national palliative care community in collaboration with PALPRAC.
Additional Highlights:
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As VIHASA transitioned online, monthly sessions have been conducted across Africa, including outreach to Ekurhuleni district clinics.
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The program has been presented at national South African Campus Health Staff Conferences over several years.
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VIHASA has featured at international and national platforms, including Children’s Hospice International and the South African Palliative Care Conference.
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At the South African Family Physicians Conference, VIHASA’s impact led the Heads of Family Medicine Education and Training Committee to recommend its integration into medical curricula—responding to rising concerns around junior doctors’ mental health and suicide rates.
Research and Evidence-Based Impact:
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A study conducted at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) with third-year medical students as part of an MPhil in Medical Education (Stellenbosch University) demonstrated significant benefits of the VIHASA program.
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The research showed measurable improvement in scores on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale.
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Participants reported enhanced character and team development, improved self-awareness, greater happiness, and overall mental well-being.
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The program contributed to reduced burnout and improved patient care—highlighting its value in cultivating resilient, compassionate healthcare professionals.
VIHASA’s continental reach continues to grow, awakening a community of values-based care across Africa. Through six in-
person trainings, over 360 facilitators have been equipped to share the program in their communities. Five online trainings
have extended this impact to 15 African countries, with weekly facilitator circles now thriving in Nairobi. An Africa coordinator
is actively mobilizing a network of more than 1,000 social workers across the continent, integrating VIHASA into skills
development initiatives.
Countries engaged include Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda, and
Zimbabwe, with additional reach through online sessions. The program has been introduced at the Botswana Ministry of
Health and the Medical School in Maputo, Mozambique, further deepening its institutional presence.
Looking ahead, a four-day training is planned for 50 university staff and 100 NPOs in South Africa, with the goal of expanding
VIHASA to all universities and sectors facing burnout, low morale, and the urgent need for inner renewal.
OUR PEOPLE: THE HEART OF VIHASA
FACILITATORS: LIVING THE VALUES
VIHASA Africa is powered by a growing network of facilitators who embody the principles they teach. These are healthcare professionals, educators, social workers, and community leaders who have undergone intensive training in the VIHASA methodology. Many continue to meet weekly - in person and online - to deepen their practice, support one another, and bring values-based healing to their teams and communities.
From hospitals and universities to NGOs and government departments, our facilitators lead with compassion, creativity, and courage. They are not just trainers, they are role models of inner strength and service. Whether guiding a meditation, hosting a reflective dialogue, or co-creating a module, they bring authenticity and care to every interaction. Their work spans across South Africa and beyond, with active circles in Nairobi and outreach in over 15 African countries.
Together, they form a vibrant, soulful movement of caregivers who uplift others by first nurturing themselves.
DR RAKSHA BALBADHUR: FOUNDER & VISIONARY
Dr Raksha Balbadhur is a medical doctor with over 24 years of experience and a Master’s degree in Palliative Medicine from the University of Cape Town. Her academic research explored the dignity experience of patients with advanced illness in South Africa, a reflection of her lifelong commitment to compassionate care.
As Founder and Chairperson of the Values in Healthcare Association (VIHASA), Dr Raksha has facilitated hundreds of experiential workshops across the continent. Her work bridges clinical excellence with spiritual depth, offering healthcare professionals tools to restore resilience, purpose, and inner peace.
She serves as a Board Member of Palprac, South Africa’s national palliative care body, and continues to advocate for values-based development in medical education, social services, and community health. Her presence brings calm, clarity, and deep meaning to the lives of those she touches - especially during their most vulnerable moments.
BENEFITS OF THE VIHASA PROGRAM
RECONNECTING WITH PURPOSE, REVITALISING PRACTICE
In today’s demanding healthcare environments, restoring morale begins with reconnecting to what truly matters. The Values in Healthcare programme offers a transformative experience—helping professionals rediscover their inner strengths, enhance their relationships, and bring compassion, peace, and purpose back into their work.
WHAT MAKES VIHASA UNIQUE
Values in Healthcare is a flexible, experiential training package designed to support both personal and professional growth. It integrates:
Rather than being taught in a traditional sense, the materials guide both participants and facilitators to experience core values. This internal journey leads to deeper clarity, shared understanding, and values-based practice - what we call a spiritual approach.
FOUR LEVELS OF IMPACT
PROFESSIONAL
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Strengthen ethical
decision-making -
Improve teamwork and
communication -
Manage workload and
change with greater
resilience
PERSONAL
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Build self-esteem and
renew vitality -
Prioritise self-care to
prevent burnout -
Cultivate inner peace
and emotional balance
ORGANISATIONAL
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Boost staff morale and
retention -
Foster values-based
leadership -
Enhance performance
and cost-efficiency
EDUCATIONAL
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Introduce holistic,
values-based learning -
Support reflective
practice and personal
development -
Deepen understanding
of spiritual care in health
settings
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The Values in Healthcare programme isn’t just a training - it’s a philosophy rooted in human experience. At its core are three guiding principles that shape every module, interaction, and outcome. These principles ensure that the journey is not only educational, but deeply personal and transformative.
Physician, Heal Thyself
The first principle places the caregiver at the heart of healing. Before professionals can sustainably care for others, they must nourish their own inner wellbeing. VIHASA honours this by creating space for reflection, renewal, and reconnection to purpose - restoring the altruism and vitality that often fade under pressure.
Learning Through Experience
Values are not best taught - they’re best felt. This principle emphasizes experiential learning, where silence, sharing, and creative exercises allow participants to explore values from within. It’s a shift from instruction to immersion, fostering insight that’s authentic and lasting.
Relevance to Work and Life
Every insight gained through VIHASA is meant to be lived. The programme bridges personal growth with professional practice, encouraging participants to reflect, plan, and apply their learning in real-world settings. This ensures that values aren’t abstract ideals - they become tools for resilience, compassion, and meaningful change.
Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be.
Let your body relax and your heart soften.
Jack Kornfield
RETREATS
The Seven Spiritual Tools in VIHASA offer practical ways for participants to explore their inner world and apply values in everyday care. Through meditation, reflection, creativity, and playfulness, these tools foster clarity, resilience, and emotional connection. Rather than teaching values as theory, they invite participants to experience and embody them - forming the heart of VIHASA’s spiritual, experiential approach to personal and professional transformation.
