International Christian group brings hope to IDPs in North Central

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

The Christian Blind Mission, CBM, a disability inclusive organization has launched the Transitional Aid project in Nigeria to improve the health situation in conflict affected communities in the North Central zone of the country with special focus on women and people living with disabilities. The project whose aim is to strengthen the resilience of conflict affected communities and internally displaced persons with attention towards disability inclusion in three North Central States of Plateau, Benue and Nassarawa would be achieved by establishing inclusive health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH services and income generating activities.

David Sabo of CBM, who gave the breakdown of the project during its launching in Jos said there are planned impacts which the project is expected to create among benefiting communities.

He disclosed that the project would be implemented through four partners, Center for Gospel Health and Development, CeGHaD, Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, Gede Foundation and the Universal Reformed Christian Church, NKST.

He said, “The objective of the project is to ensure that the target group have access to qualitative and inclusive health services, household in the communities have access to inclusive WASH services and particularly, vulnerable households in communities have increased their sources of income through the formation of saving groups

“ECWA will lead the implementation of the vesicovaginal fistula activities in the three States and provide its expertise on eye health in Plateau and Nasarawa States while NKST will provide its expertise and services on eye health in Benue. The provision of psychosocial services in Plateau and Nasarawa will be managed by Gede Foundation. “The organization will also be responsible for the WASH and livelihood components in Benue. CeGHaD will deal with WASH and livelihoods in Plateau and Nasarawa States.” He lamented the increase in number of internally displaced persons due to recurring violent conflicts in the region stressing such in having adverse effects on the precarious WASH facilities in communities. One of the implementing partners, Nancy Onu of CeGHaD expressed joy at the intervention saying it would go a long way in mitigating the challenges faced by displaced persons.

Culled from Vanguard

Mental Health Around The World

BY KATHRYN WHEELER

We speak to six people from across the globe about their personal experiences with mental health, the options that are available to them, and the goals they are working towards

No matter where we’re from or what we do, mental illness has the potential to touch us and our loved ones throughout our lives. According to the Global Burden of Disease, 13% of the global population lives with a mental disorder – that’s approximately 971 million people.

It’s something that unites us across borders, but no one person’s experience with mental health will be the same as another’s – and that’s especially true when we consider how the levels of support and stigma varies so drastically around the world.

It’s time to escape our respective bubbles and get a fresh perspective on the state of mental health care across the continents. Here, we speak to six people from around the world to find out about their personal experiences, and to learn more about what it really means to live with mental illness in 2020.

Anita in Nigeria

“My experience with mental health issues has been tough and sad – having family and friends not accept me for who I am during crisis, and an identity where I am seen as a ‘mad’ and ‘possessed’ human being,” Anita Ikwue explains.

For Anita, being open about her mental health came with challenges from those in her family and her wider community.

“Most of them are hearing something like this for the first time, and usually have a negative impression of mental health problems,” she says. “Some would be interested to know more about mental health. Others would say terrible things like ‘mad people’. For me, this means people are speaking from an ignorant angle, and they just need to be more educated.”

David in Sweden

David Brudö has experienced bouts of depression since his teens, but it wasn’t until later in life – when things became unbearable – that he decided to reach out for help. David notes how, in recent years, more people in Sweden have been willing to talk about mental health openly – yet he still feared colleagues and family would view him as “weak”.

“While people are more willing to speak about, for example, stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are still not spoken about as openly,” David explains. “But it’s not unusual to see Nordic countries topping the World Happiness Report. And while Sweden has historically been concerned with one of the highest suicide rates since the 1960s, it now has one of the lowest suicide rates in the world.”

As way of explaining these stats, David points to the introduction of the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team – a dedicated mental health care ambulance that is being piloted in Stockholm – as well as Swedish values such as ‘fika’ which is a midday pause to socialise with friends and colleagues, and ‘friluftsliv’, the value of spending time outdoors.

Today, David is the CEO and co-founder of mental health and self-development app Remente, and he sees prevention rather than treatment as the key to better overall health.

“We will not be able to solve all mental health issues overnight, but it is important to make sure that all walks of life are provided with the right attention and support, to ensure that we continue to see the numbers of suicides decrease, and happiness rates increase.”

Please read more here

GEDE AT LAFARGE AFRICA PLC AND MFAMOSING COMMUNITY DAY

LAFARGE AFRICA PLC through its Cooperate Social Responsibility initiative engaged Gede to coordinate its empowerment programme in Cross River State. This initiative is aimed at providing opportunities to the youths in rural communities to access education and life skills in order to lay foundations for productive lives. On 29th November, a Community Day at Mfamosing was organised (a community where LAFARGE Cement Plant is located), to provide a platform for i) partners to interact with beneficiaries and showcase their various achievements in the course of their engagements with LAFARGE, ii) communities to evaluate the impact of interventions, and, iii) government to present its commitment in promoting human capital development within the region.

The event was attended by the Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, LAFARGE key Staff led by the Plant Manager, Royal Fathers from the host communities, Cross River State Police Commissioner, State Ministry of Education, State Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Development Partners, National Youth Service Corps, Community Groups and Beneficiaries.  

At the event, Gede highlighted its achievements for the past three years, coordinating LAFARGE’S community based project, which aims to promote sustainable development, through educational support and life skills empowerment to hundreds of young people in 10 rural communities in Cross River State. Students supported through the scholarship programme recorded impressive academic performances both at the Secondary School Council Examinations and Universities. The best students in both categories were awarded with laptops and other prizes.

Some schools where beneficiaries are enrolled showcased creativity challenge among the students in developing science projects on innovations and/or inventions that could contribute to addressing environmental pollution.

The event ended with commitments from all parties to sustain the development patterns that are seen as holistic in providing roadmap for sustainable developments in these communities. 

LAFARGE AFRICAN PLC offered goodwill messages to the Management and Staff of Gede Foundation for the smooth partnership engagement that has been witnessed among relevant stakeholders in the course of implementing the community projects. 

GEDE EXPANDS PROGRAMMES TO STATES IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Starting January 2020, Gede will be expanding its programmes to   Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa States in North Central Nigeria. Gede, along   with 4 other local partners received an award in October 2019 through the Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM) and German Cooperation to jointly implement an all-inclusive health and livelihood interventions within the region, through the North-Central Transitional Aid in Nigeria (NoCTRAIN) Programme in the next 3 years. Gede will focus on Community Mental Health, Village Savings and Loans (VSLA), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in 15 LGAs in the region.

The overall goal is to improve access to health services, strengthen resilience, and contribute  to the reduction of disabilities and mortality in Benue, Nassarawa and Plateau states through these main result areas:  i) increased access to specialized health services: mental health, eye health and female genital fistula, and , ii) improved provision of inclusive basic facilities in target communities. Specific target groups are i) vulnerable populations, ii) internally displaced persons, and, iii) persons with disabilities,

 It is expected that  within  the first 3 years,   70% of the target population including persons with disabilities in the selections locations will report access to  Mental Health, Female Genital Fistula, Eye Health and WASH services that is available, accessible, affordable and safe for all.

Gede’s Board of Directors through the Founder Jennifer Douglas Abubakar is providing the needed support to ensure the project meets the expected outcomes.

COMIC RELIEF VISITS GEDE FOUNDATION AND THE LEPROSY MISSION IN NIGERIA

On Wednesday, October 30 2019, Gede and The Leprosy Mission Nigeria (TLMN) played host to Vanessa Thomas from Comic Relief, UK. The meeting was to provide an opportunity for Vanessa to interact with the two organizations and their beneficiaries in Abuja.

Gede and TLMN are exploring partnership opportunities into the integration of mental health services with treatment and care for leprosy and lymphatic filariasis.

The Team visited one of Gede’s project sites in Mpape Community, where they met with people living with mental health problems from the self-help group, mental health Champions and Staff of the Primary Healthcare Centre. Gede’s Community Mental Health and Development Programme is collaborating with the Primary Healthcare Centre in Mpape  to treat minor mental health cases,  and  also refer those that require advanced  care to  Karu Behavioral Medicine Unit.    

It is hoped that the visit will secure funding possibilities,  resulting from available information from both organizations, on the gaps between mental health and the burdens of leprosy and lymphatic filariasis in Nigeria.

Gede Foundation’s Board of Directors led by our Founder, Barrister Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar are tirelessly supporting Gede’s efforts in expanding its partnership’s portfolio.

Visit this blog for more updates on Gede’s events!

Gede Foundation in the News

A group of 20 women and men who have experienced mental health problems shared their experiences after a road walk to commemorate the 2019 World Mental Health Day as part of efforts to tackle stigmatization. The mental health champions, as they were called, said they are now advocates of mental health to help people tackle the problem through their experiences.

They spoke at a programme organized by Gede Foundation in conjunction with Karu Behavioural Medicine Unit with support Time to Change Global and Christian Blind Mission, at the weekend.

They spoke about their experiences of mental health problems such as depression and bipolar, and challenged myths surrounding the issue of mental health problem while also helping people change the way they think about the disease.

The Medical Director, Karu General Hospital, Dr Marcus Mamman, said, this year’s theme focuses on suicide prevention to help create awareness so that people will know the causes and how to handle it. He said suicide often happens as a result of depression, stressing that recently it has gone up and there is the need to look into how to tackle it. “But with the awareness we have started, it will help people to know that mental health issue is real and there are things that may likely cause people to have suicidal thoughts. We need to educate the people because it can happen to anybody no matter your status and class,” he said.

Dr Mamman said although the issue of stigmatisation is still prevalent, the awareness is to make people know that mental health problem is just like any other ailment and it is not an infectious diseases.

Culled from Daily Trust

GEDE MARKS WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

On Thursday, October 10 2019, Gede Foundation joined the world in marking this year’s World Mental Health Day. The theme for this year’s event is “Suicide Prevention’. Gede partnered with Christian Blind Mission (CBM), Karu Behaviour Medicine Unit (KBMU) and Time To Change Global (TTCG) to raise awareness on suicide and ways it could be prevented. The three activities were i) sensitization through road walk, ii) symposium on ‘causes, signs and prevention of suicide’ at Karu Hospital and, iii)social contact event. 

During the road walk, the team including Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatric Nurses, Social Workers, Laboratory Scientists and Mental Health Champions) went through streets in Karu with information, education and communication (IEC) materials (flyers, hand-bans, posters and banners) to raise awareness on suicide and mobilize people to participate at the symposium.

At the symposium, mental health specialists educated participants on the various causes, signs and preventive measures for suicide—the major cause being depression This was followed by a session to address various myths and misconceptions surrounding suicide. Some participants shared their stories on how they overcame suicidal thoughts and attempts. 

Mental health stigma was addressed through the social contact event by Mental Health Champions at the venue. Champions shared their mental health experience with those without mental experience of mental health problems. The event gained media exposure both in Newspapers and Television. The next social contact event is coming up on Saturday, October 26, at the District Head’s Palace in Mararaba, opposite Nasarawa State Geographical Information System (NAGIS) Office, Mararaba at 10am.

This event was made possible through the huge contributions and support from Gede Foundation’s Board of Directors led by its Founder, Barrister Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar.

Burnout is a pandemic. Why don't we talk more about it?

Article culled from We Forum.

Stress – from the Latin “stringere”, to squeeze tight, touch or injure – is not bad, per se. Positive stress and adrenaline in the right circumstances can make us stronger, happier and healthier. Yet, in certain work environments, chronic stress provokes anxiety, detachment and fatigue that can lead to burnout.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly every fifth child or teenager and every fourth adult will be affected by burnout at some point in his or her active life. The situation is so widespread in developed countries that the WHO has added burnout to its list of globally recognized diseases, defining it as a syndrome of “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” which “includes feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, results in increased mental distance from one's job and reduced professional efficacy.”

A Gallup poll of 7,500 full-time employees indicates that one in four employees feel burned out at work very often or always, while nearly half report feeling it sometimes. The trend seems particularly acute amongst the young. A Deloitte study on workplace health in the US suggests that 84% of millennials have experienced burnout in their current job. Women are more likely to suffer from the disease than their male counterparts.

Although the global economic burden of burnout has not been calculated, it is estimated that the global cost of mental illness will grow to $16 trillion by 2030, in part, owing to the increase in burnout.

As we celebrate World Mental Health Day, let’s take a look at the drivers of burnout.

Burnout: a disease of the 21st century

We live in a high-speed world, where digital interconnection, sophisticated technology and social media purportedly make us smarter, faster and more effective. But greater digitization is also causing acute isolation; our connection to other humans and to nature is quietly superseded by FOMO (“fear of missing out”) and social media angst.

Medical research indicates that our connection with ourselves, other humans and with our natural world improves our sense of health and happiness. Conversely, when we lose our sense of connection, anxiety, depression and burnout are all too frequent.

As the pace of change increases, so organizations are asked to produce more with fewer resources. This is perhaps where the squeeze of burnout is most keenly felt. Year-on-year the bar gets raised, without the requisite reflection on human costs.

Gallup’s study of the primary causes of employee burnout found that the main factors have less to do with expectations for hard work and high performance, but are more closely associated with the management and treatment of an individual.

Oversized workloads, unreasonable time pressures, lack of role clarity, lack of communication and support from management and unfair treatment at work correlated most with incidents of burnout. When employees say they often or always have enough time to do all of their work, they are 70% less likely to experience high burnout. Similarly, when employees strongly agree that they are often treated unfairly at work, they are 2.3 times more likely to experience burnout.

Work environments are the least equipped of all support networks to respond constructively to burnout with just 27% of supervisors responding positively to incidents of burnout and only one in three colleagues offering the support needed.

Women are more likely to experience burnout in part because of factors outside an employer’s control such as low self-esteem and poor division of labour outside of the workplace. A significant contributor, however, is unfavourable working conditions that hit women harder than their male counterparts, including fewer professional advancement opportunities and more frequent occupation of low-authority roles.

Countering a culture of fear

Standard protocols for addressing burnout in the workplace are starkly nascent. Those affected by the disease tend not to speak out for fear of reprimand or out of shame. This culture of fear inhibits the early identification of the disease and makes reintegration into the workplace more challenging.

If you are feeling emotional, mental or physical exhaustion, or if you are demotivated, frustrated, cynical or anxious at work, it may be time to ask yourself some hard questions. If burnout goes unaddressed, it can translate into panic attacks, digestive issues, heart disease, immune disorders, migraines, depression and - in the most extreme cases - could lead to suicide.

As we move towards a fast-paced technological age, where we pride ourselves on equality of opportunity and efficiency, let us not forget the importance of being human-centred at work. Once we recognize burnout for the pandemic it is, we can begin the journey towards healthier and happier lives and work.

Suicide: The looming Health Crisis in Nigeria

“I wish they knew that sometimes; people end their lives out of frustration. I wish they knew that

even though everyone has it rough, people don’t have the same level of resilience,” Shola Ajayi.

This year’s World Health Mental Day coming up on October 10 will focus on suicide prevention. The “40 seconds of action’ is meant to bring attention to the increased suicide rates around the world and how we can help to prevent it. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.[1] WHO statistics show that “suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year olds globally.”[2]

Suicide: The looming Health Crisis in 2020

In Nigeria, the WHO reports that there are 17.5 suicide deaths for 100,000 population.[3] As the founder of a Foundation that works in mental health, the increasing rates of suicide particularly among the youth population is seemingly alarming. Several such incidences of suicide are reported daily:[4]

On 25 March 2019, the Guardian Newspaper[5] had a picture of an SUV on Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos. That car belonged to a Dr. Allwell Orji who had parked and jumped into the lagoon. He died.

A 500-level Urban and Regional Planning undergraduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Adesoji Adediran, took his own life inside his hostel room.

In January 2019, a 19-year-old student of Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Verishima Unokyur, committed suicide in his parents’ home in Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Lagos.

A manager with a commercial bank, Olisa Nwokobi, shot himself in Lagos due to pressures from a loan repayment debt.

There is a general consensus among psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health workers that the suicide rates in Nigeria is posing a serious problem to public health system; yet, “suicides are

preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions.’’[6]

Suicide Remains a Criminal offence in Nigeria

In Nigeria, the law punishes persons who attempt suicide. Those who have attempted suicide and failed rather than getting help have found themselves under the long arm of the law. The CNN reported the case of Ifeanyi Ugokwe, who attempted to take his own life and failed.[7] He was arrested and detained. There are several such reported arrests of suicide survivors. Suicide is criminalised under the Criminal Codes. Under Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act, attempting to kill yourself carries a penalty of up to one year in prison (that is where you do not succeed). According to the Code “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.” The law is a holdover from when Nigeria was a British

Colony under the Suicide Act of 1961, which has since been abolished in Britain.

What is to be Done

The focus on Suicide on this years’ World Mental Health Day could not have come at a better time. Nigeria needs an urgent focus on suicide prevention. To do that, we need a comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan and legislation. We need to focus attention on prevention strategies: on stigma and taboo, effective support to survivors and establishment of ‘help lines’ within a coordinated national response. Nonetheless, for ‘national responses to be effective, a comprehensive multi- sectoral suicide prevention strategy’[8] must be put in place and the antiquated holder over law on suicide stricken from the books.

The work of Gede Foundation in Mental Health

Gede Foundation was established in 2003 in Nigeria to bring underserved and stigmatized health and social burdens out of the shadows. Its core competence is rooted on organizational learning and advocacy through action (community intervention) research. The Foundation’s team, through the years, has initiated discussions and work in the areas of HIV/AIDS and Mental Health – both are highly stigmatized health conditions, especially, mental health in low- and middle- income countries.

Gede’s work in mental health began in 2015 with a prevalence study on depression, alcohol use, and suicidality among people living with HIV-AIDS in Nigeria.[9] In partnership with Basic- Needs UK, Institute of Human Virology in Nigeria and Catholic Relief Services, the Foundation carried out these projects i) Community Mental Health and Development Programme, ii) Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) needs assessment among internally displaced persons, and, iii) Adaptation and validation of mental health screening tools for use among orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria.

Currently, the Foundation is partnering with Christian Blind Mission (CBM) and Time to Change Global (TTCG) to lead an anti-stigma campaign for mental health in Nigeria. The campaign is aimed at improving public attitudes and behaviours towards people with mental health problems through social contact events, driven by people with lived experience of mental health problems.

Gede’s programme is promoting access to mental health services to people in urban and rural locations with a combination of approaches including establishing Self-help Groups (SHGs) at different settings, and strengthening treatment and referral pathways with mental health service providers.

Why is Gede’s Mental Health Programme Important?

Many people don’t consider mental health relevant to them. They don’t believe mental health problems are likely to affect them or people they know. But the reality is that mental health can affect anyone. Statistically, 1 in 4 of people around the world will fight a mental health problem at some point in their life. In Nigeria, an estimated 20%–30% of the population are believed to suffer from mental disorders.

World Mental Health Day

To learn more about our work on mental health visits us at: http://www.gedefoundation.org.

World Mental Health Day is organized by the World Federation for Mental Health. This year’s Day is supported by WHO, the International Association for Suicide Prevention, and United for Global Mental Health[11]

Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar, PHD, LLM

Founder

Gede Foundation

13Danube Street Maitama Abuja

Nigeria

"If you or anyone you know is facing depression and/or suicidal thoughts, please call these numbers 08091116264, 08062106493, 08092106493."

Sources

[1] https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/

[2] https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/

[3] Who Health organisation

[4] Guardian 25 March 2019

[5] https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/worrisome-rising-cases-of-suicide-in-nigeria/

[6] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide

[7] https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/30/health/imprisoned-suicide-illegal-nigeria-intl/index.html

[8] Who Health Organisation

[9] http://www.gedefoundation.org/prevalence-study

[10] https://bit.ly/2lX1osh

[11] https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2019/10/10/default-calendar/world-mental-health-day-2019-focus-on-suicide-prevention

Gede Foundation Holds First Social Contact Event

As our regular readers will know, Gede Foundation recently trained 20 champions for the Time to Change Global Pilot programme. On Saturday, September 14th, 2019, the Foundation held its very first social contact event. 

A social contact event is an event where people (trained champions) with “lived mental health” experience have one-on-one conversations with people without lived mental health about their own experiences.

 The event was held at Jabi Lake, Abuja and started at around 10am. The champions were in high spirits as the people encountered were mostly positive and curious to learn more. This made the champions more willing to talk to people about their own experiences. Our partners from Christian Blind Mission (CBM) were present for the first event. There was also a lot of support from Time to Change Global (TTCG). 

Bitrus and Miracle

Our regular readers will recall that TTCG has been using this approach for 12 years and they have seen that it helps in stigma reduction towards people with mental health problems. 

Overall, Gede's Founder, Dr Jennifer Douglas- Abubakar, Board of Directors, partners, champions and Staff  members were very happy with the first event.

Please visit the blog regularly for more updates. Our second social contact event will be on World Mental Health Day - October 10th, 2019. If you would like to be a part of it, please visit Gede’s Twitter and Facebook for regular updates!