A reader’s question to my last blog, “what has become of the four children of this couple?” (who are now complete orphans) brings to mind again the project Gede Foundation is conducting for Orphans and Vulnerable children (OVC). Bantu is from a family of seven children who have been left to fend for themselves. He stays with his eldest brother at Gishiri and was at the verge of going out to the streets (with all the attendant risks) to start begging for a living when Gede Foundation encountered him. He was selected using the Gede Foundation guidelines for Skill Acquisition Programme for OVCs and enrolled. Today he is being empowered as an apprentice tailor. Please contact (Mr Godwin Etim – godwin@gedefoundation.org) for further details on our OVC program
Gede Meets with The Herbal Medical Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria
As part of Gede Foundation's efforts to increase the awareness of mental health among the key stakeholders and in turn to learn from them, a meeting with members of The Herbal Medical Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria was held on Monday 16th June, 2014 in Iddo Sarki. After the awareness talk, members of the Association were also given opportunity to explain how their practice is related to mental health and how to recognize mental illness. It was a very interesting session and will be continued in subsequent blogs. For enquiries about Gede Foundation’s Mental Health Awareness Program please email Ekaette Udoekong on eudoekong@gedefoundation.org.
Response of The Herbal Medical Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria to Gede’s visit
As a way of response to the awareness raising talk on Mental Health given to the Herbal Medical Practitioners, the Association wanted to give Gede some food for thought. The President of The Association thanked the Foundation for the eye opening presentation. He said, however, that Gede’s perspective is mainly a medical point of view on mental health. He said the way in which Herbal Medical Practitioners consider mental health is in the areas of mental illnesses caused by hereditary and spiritual factors. He noted that mental wellbeing these days is affected by issues related to socio-economic factors such as poverty and insecurity. In the area of treatment, he said there were medicinal words that can be spoken to the mentally ill that would calm them down. He expressed willingness of his Association to collaborate with Gede Foundation’s innovative efforts within mental health in Nigeria. For enquiries about Gede Foundation’s Mental Health Awareness Program please email Ekaette Udoekong on eudoekong@gedefoundation.org
A Different Understanding (Part 3)
My question to you, the reader, is how could this depression in HIV be handled without the mental health angle being considered? You would agree with me that HIV/AIDS and mental health are closely related and one would invariably affect the other. HIV/AIDS is a stigmatized illness and the news of one being infected with it tends to cause some form of serious mental health condition. In the case of the woman in this story, she should have been referred to a mental health specialist where she could benefit from psychotherapy or drugs like anti-depressants. This shows that HIV/AIDS treatment and care is holistic in nature. Our commitment to halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS as a nation would be more aptly supported if effort is put into promoting Mental Health Services Delivery. A national policy is on ground already and I only hope that the importance of it becoming an Act and subsequent Bill would follow suit. Stakeholders could take a cue and support the motion. Thank you for your attention and anticipated comments. I can be reached on obamijoko@gedefoundation.org
A Different Understanding (Part 2)
For people reading this for the first time, it’s a story about a widowed mother of 4 who has been encouraged to go for HIV test following the mysterious death of her husband. She took to the advice of a relative and went for an HIV test at a nearby Pharmacy where she tested positive. She was referred to Gede for confirmatory test which also turned out positive. Despite every effort at psychosocial counselling and appeals from her children over the months, she did not recover from the news. It was as if the clock stopped ticking and time stood still! She slipped into depression and not even the thought of remaining strong and alive for her children (as the only living parent) could bring her out of it. Life seemed to have lost its meaning, she rarely ate and refused to take antiretroviral drugs (for which she was due). It wasn’t long before her immune system became compromised and she fell ill. She never recovered (perhaps the will to do so had long gone) and my enquiry to her oldest child after a while confirmed she had passed on. The question where lies the link comes up again and would be considered in the final part of this story but I can be reached on obamijoko@gedefoundation.org
A Different Understanding (Part 1)
Solape is back again. This time around to share with you a case which I experienced about seven years ago as an HIV/AIDS Counsellor. Then, I thought it was just a case of psychosocial counselling (follow up counselling which would usually come after the disclosure of an HIV positive result) but my recent increase in knowledge in mental health is making me think deeper. In 2006, I met a woman, a fulltime housewife who had just lost her husband and was left with 4 children whose age ranged from 4 years to 16 years. The man had died after a protracted illness whose nature she was not really aware of. Upon his death, a relative (whom she was not sure if he knew the late husband’s status or not) advised her to go for an HIV test because of (according to him) ‘the way in which his kinsman (her husband) died was somehow suspicious’. The woman was disturbed by this observation, but what happened next was truly shocking. I will continue this terrible story in my next blog but I can be reached on obamijoko@gedefoundation.org
A Different Understanding
Hi there,
My name is Solape Bamijoko, a Gede Foundation team member who has worked as an HIV/AIDS Counselor for the last seven years. Are HIV/AIDS and mental health related you would ask? When growing up in Nigeria, I often thought that 'mental health' really only referred to the man roaming the street...or chained to the treatment bed. Is that what ‘mental health’ is all about? What of the person who feels life is no more worth living because of an HIV positive result and contemplates suicide? Or the one who refuses to be consoled and falls into depression also because of a HIV positive result. In my work as a Counselor, I have come to see the links between HIV and mental health (especially the ways in which they interact - people living positively are more prone to mental health challenges while those living with mental health challenges can be more prone to HIV). I will be sharing more with you in future blogs...
Baseline Survey on Mental Health Knowledge
A group of 14 Adherence Counselors and Treatment Coordinators gathered at the Gede Foundation Training Room on Saturday afternoon (May 24, 2014) to start the Gede-NEPWHAN baseline study as part of their joint partnership on Enhancing the Capacity of HIV/AIDS Adherence Counselors to Improve Treatment and Care in the FCT.
The purpose of the gathering was for the group to know how to administer the baseline questionnaire and to be introduced to the importance of mental health knowledge, particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS. From the questions and concerns shared by the participants, it was clear that mental health awareness needs to be raised at the community level. The research will also result in a major document which will be circulated widely throughout the development and health community.
For more information about the project, please contact Godwin Etim at godwin@gedefoundation.org
CSOs Form Coalition to Address Mental Health Gaps
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Gede and NEPWHAN hosted representatives of leading civil society organisations for an initial discussion on the implications on their programmes of the implications of the 2013 National Policy for Mental Health Services Delivery on CSOs. This meeting marked the first time ever for CSOs to meet to discuss mental health initiatives in Nigeria.
Participants reflected on gaps in knowledge and services for mental health at the community level and also discussed the implications of the 2013 Policy, including ways in which CSOs could become better coordinated for advocacy, awareness raising and, where appropriate, service delivery. The group agreed to meet within the next few weeks to discuss the details.
With vital information on the history of the National Policy and mhGAP provided by the WHO representative, the group agreed to form a coordinating body that will formulate plans for advancing mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment.
Gede Foundation thanks Yar’Adua Centre for the use of the Board Room and the following sponsors for lending support to this activity: HE Frank Ventures, CJ Bookshop Ltd, Donns Media, Prefair Concepts, and Elo.C Enugo West Africa Ltd.
Advancing the NEPWHAN and Gede Foundation Pilot Project
GEDE and Adherence Counsellors
Gede and NEPWHAN FCT
Gede Foundation specialists met with officers of NEPWHAN (FCT) on May 14, 2014 to advance the planning for a baseline study of mental health to build the capacity of Adherence Counselors in addressing mental health issues of members. Many shared their stories—how they reacted the first time they were diagnosed with HIV, how they are coping with the side effects of medication, and how important their support groups were to them.
There were about 25 members who took great interest in knowing the link between HIV and mental health. Staying mentally healthy is an essential factor in adherence to medication.
The engagement helped both organizations baseline study results are expected to guide Gede in designing a stigma reduction training program for Adherence Counselors by July 2014.