The BAHASS Foundation, a non-governmental organization that provides care and support for persons living with mental disorders, celebrated the World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2023, with the theme “Women Lead Advocacy for Mental Health and Justice for Abuse Children”.

The event, which took place at the Wa at the foundations office, was attended by dignitaries such as the Regional Minister’s representative, the Upper West Regional Commander of the Narcotics Control Commission, the Regional Mental Health Coordinator’s representative, the Gender representative, and the wife of the Regional Minister who attended on behalf of her organization.

The founder of the BAHAS Foundation, Mr. Eliasu Yusuf Baba, who is also known as BAHAS, welcomed the guests and thanked them for their support and collaboration. He said that his foundation was the only one in the country that celebrates the World Mental Health Day every year.

He said that his foundation’s vision was to create a society where persons living with mental disorders are treated with dignity and respect, and have access to quality health care and social services. He also said that his foundation’s mission was to advocate for the rights of persons living with mental disorders, and to provide them with rehabilitation, reintegration, and empowerment programs.

He said that his foundation had organized the persons living with mental disorders into a group with leadership in the Wa municipality, and that they had been receiving regular counseling, medication. He said that his foundation had also been providing them with clothing, food, hygiene kits, and entertainment.

He said that his foundation had chosen the theme of “Women Lead Advocacy for Mental Health and Justice for Abuse Children” to highlight the role of women in promoting mental health awareness and fighting against child abuse. He said that women were often the primary caregivers of persons living with mental disorders, and that they faced many challenges such as stigma, discrimination, violence, and poverty. He said that women were also the most vulnerable to mental health problems due to factors such as gender inequality, sexual violence, maternal mortality, and domestic abuse.

He said that his foundation had been working with women groups and leaders to educate them on mental health issues and to empower them to speak out against child abuse. He said that child abuse was a serious problem that affected the mental health and well-being of children, and that it could lead to long-term consequences such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicide, and criminal behavior.

He appealed to the government and other stakeholders to provide more funding and resources for mental health services in the country, and to implement policies and laws that protect the rights of persons living with mental disorders. He also urged the media and the public to stop stigmatizing and discriminating against persons living with mental disorders, and to show them compassion and solidarity.

By opening, Mr. BAHAS also thanked the chiefs of their role in heeding to his plea for land to set up structures by giving him plots of land of which he had since molded over 5,000 blocks. He said that it was only BAHAS Foundation that could actually take all persons living with mental disorders out of the streets if the government actually wanted to achieve this.

The message from the Regional Mental Health Coordinator was read by his representative,
who emphasized that mental health was a universal human right that should be respected and protected by all. He said that mental health services should be available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality for everyone who needs them. He also
said that persons living with mental disorders should be free from coercion,
violence, abuse, neglect, and discrimination.

He called on all stakeholders to work together to address these challenges and to promote mental health as a priority in development agendas. He also
called on all individuals to take care of their own mental health and well-being by adopting healthy lifestyles such as eating well, exercising regularly, sleeping enough,
managing stress effectively,
seeking help when needed,
and supporting others who are in need.

The Regional Commander of the Narcotics Control Commission of
the Upper West Command,
Senior Narcotics Control Officer – SNCO Issahaque Bakuri Tom delivered a speech in which he quoted a famous saying: “Every society is judged by
the way they treat the less privileged in their society”. He said that this statement applied to persons living with mental disorders who were often marginalized
and neglected by society.

The Gender representative also spoke on the occasion, and expressed her appreciation to the BAHAS Foundation for choosing a theme that highlighted the role of women in mental health advocacy and child protection. She said that women were the backbone of society, and that they had the power and potential to influence positive change in their families, communities, and nations.

She said that her department was working with the BAHAS Foundation and other partners to address the issues of gender-based violence, child abuse, and child marriage, which were prevalent in the region. She said that these issues violated the human rights of women and children, and had adverse effects on their physical, mental, emotional, and social development.

The event was also graced by the presence of some traditional chiefs, who commended the BAHAS Foundation for its noble work and pledged their support for its activities. They also appealed to their subjects to embrace persons living with mental disorders as part of their community, and to assist them in their recovery process.

The highlight of the event was the performance by the persons living with mental disorders, who showcased their talents in dancing and singing. The guests were impressed by their skills and creativity, and applauded them for their courage and resilience.

The event ended Thanksgiving. Gratitude to all the guests, sponsors, volunteers, staff, media, and especially the persons living with mental disorders for making the event a success. He said that he hoped that the event would inspire more people to join the cause of mental health promotion and protection in the country.

They also reminded the public that it was BAHAS who was the whistleblower of the Anaata case that incarcerated Anaata who is now serving 22 years imprisonment with hard labor for sexually abusing children. They said that they’re are proud of his role in bringing justice to the victims of Anaata’s atrocities, and that he should continue to fight against child abuse in any form.

BAHAS Foundation wished everyone a happy World Mental Health Day, and urged them to take care of themselves and each other. He said that together, they could create a better world for everyone.

Source: Justin Abesig