BY SETHABILE MYENI
MBABANE – In partnership with the Ministry of Health and other organisations, World Vision will be distributing mental health awareness content to over 80,000 people in the country.
Together with other interested organisations, World Vision today had a march in Shiselweni II, Mahlalani to commemorate World Mental Health Day which is formally commemorated on the 10th of October.
It is said the day allows people to recognize those in their lives who may be dealing with anxiety, depression, or other conditions that affect their mental well-being.
It has been gathered that with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through USAID – US Agency for International Development, World Vision is entering the mental health space in Eswatini as one of the implementing partners that will be supporting the Ministry of Health in raising awareness and providing mental health support to communities.
The Health Technical Program World Vision representative, Happiness Mkhatjwa said mental health is a universal human right and due to other commitments on the 10th of October, the organisation did not get the chance to visit communities concerning the mental health subject hence they chose this day.
“We resolved to go to Shiselweni 2 because we already have under way programs there in different constituencies including Ngudzeni, Maseyisini, Shiselweni 2, Hosea, Methula and Sandleni to name a few. These programs involve capacitating adolescent girls and young women on HIV & AIDS prevention, and helping the orphaned to access education and other basic resources. We also assist them with internships and starting businesses,” she said.
Mkhatjwa disclosed that while implementing these programs they realised that part of the target group were detached and not interested at all.
“We learned that the hidden cause for the indifferent is mentally and we decided to provide guidance on mental health problems and concerns. We plan on educating the youth on how mental health affects how we think, feel, act, how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices, basically our everyday lives,” she said.
