The record-breaking sock sentence was the mental health hashtag, #ItsOkNotToBeOk!
Cape Town, South Africa (08 June 2022) – To help raise awareness around mental health, Cipla South Africa broke the Guinness World Record for the ‘largest sock sentence’ challenge, held on the Sea Point promenade in Cape Town on Saturday 4 June 2022.
The previous largest sock sentence consisted of 2,295 socks and was accomplished by a sock company in Osaka, Japan, on 9 November 2020. Cipla beat the current record thanks to over 5,600 socks donated by its staff and Curro Brackenfell, who donated over 3,000 socks alone.
This new record nearly doubles the previous one.
The record-breaking sentence was the mental health hashtag, #ItsOkNotToBeOk, along with details of the free Cipla/South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) mental health helpline, 0800 456 789, as a reminder to people that they are not alone and that there’s always help available, and there is always hope. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental effect on mental health in South Africa.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. It is estimated that one in six South Africans suffers from anxiety, depression, or a substance use disorder, 40% of South Africans living with HIV have a comorbid mental disorder, 41% of pregnant women are depressed, and about 60% of South Africans could be suffering from post-traumatic stress, according to the South African Colleague of Applied Psychology.
Making a Sustainable Impact
About 85% of our clothes end up in landfills or are burned. This results in thousands of tons of textiles ending up in landfills but these socks are going to be given new life!
After breaking the record, all the socks collected will be washed and sorted by colour. The textile recycling process will provide much-needed employment for unemployed seamstresses and carpenters, who skilled artisans will train to recycle the socks into occasional chairs that will be placed at locations where people can go to have a “mental health moment” and just breathe.
“As part of Cipla’s ethos of caring for life and the environment, it was very important for us to collaborate with like-minded partners to help make a difference by reducing the number of textiles ending up in landfills. We want people to live a long and healthy life, and we’re also focused on the health of our planet,” CEO of Cipla South Africa, Paul Miller explained.