Eléonore Cotman and Elise Petit are two childhood friends that both have a sibling with a mental disability. While students at university, they realised how lucky they were to have a friend that shared a similar experience, and how uniquely rich it was for them to be able to confide in each other about doubts and questions related to their sibling’s handicap, without fear of feeling judged or misunderstood. They agreed that, while their mentally disabled sibling can bring them great joy, living with them is often challenging and forces them to deal with difficult emotions. For that reason, while still finishing their studies, they decided in September 2014 to found FratriHa, a project with the objective of providing more support to siblings of people with mental disabilities. Until 2019 the project was fully integrated to the non-profit organisation Inclusion Asbl. We are now an independant Asbl subsidised by CAP48 and the French Community Commission (COCOF).
FratriHa is built around four action areas : raising awareness on siblings experiences for parents and professionals, acting as a representative for siblings in political and social organisations, providing support and meeting opportunities between siblings, and providing both theoretical and practical information on the topic.
FratriHa is built around four action areas : raising awareness on siblings experiences for parents and professionals, acting as a representative for siblings in political and social organisations, providing support and meeting opportunities between siblings, and providing both theoretical and practical information on the topic.