Mental health is a key part of our successful life and our overall well-being. There is no health without mental health. It is well-known that mental health is a sensitive topic However, it is rarely prioritized to physical health. Even in 21st century, there is still a stigma about mental health in most of the communities of Nepal and South Asia. People hesitate to speak about their problems while some people have a negative attitude towards mental health medications and consultations. So, to overcome all related issues, we came forward to bring impact through our efforts in society.
The 'Mental Health Matters' , one-year campaign that we introduced on 4th Dec 2020, is a an effort to generate a positive impact among the people who got adversely affected by the waves of COVID-19. Under this campaign, in collaboration with 'Revive Psychosocial Counselling and Well-Being Center' and 'Small Farmer Agriculture and Co-operative Limited, We organized a day training on 'Financial Literacy and Psychosocial Health’ at Small farmer agriculture and cooperative limited, Begnas, dated 11 December 2021. The main aim of this one-day training was to broaden financial literacy and promote the significance of mental health through awareness and self-motivated actions.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, we were not able to accommodate all but seventy plus attendees got the opportunity to connect, learn and conquer the tips and tricks to tackle daily challenges induced by financial complications, mental health symptoms and so. They were trained by expert psychosocial counselors and certified therapists in the mental health field and financial field-experts.
Our target participants were the farmers from Pokhara-31, who were associated with the afore mentioned co-operative yet are vulnerable to poor mental health and financial illiteracy. We successfully conducted this program and were able to generate awareness among the participants about psychosocial well-being, the ways to combat the daily challenges that they are subject to face and the tips to create a financially healthy life for better future.