Atta Kwabena talks of how Basic Needs Trust has helped his mental ill health
“He tells me that he was laughed at by the community around him and even considered taking his own life’
Sitting on the edge of a self help group meeting, Atta Kwabena talks openly via a translator about his experience of suffering mental health problems in Accra, Ghana. His journey through mental illness so far has lasted twelve years. A combination of undiagnosed epilepsy and behavioural problems led to derision from others. Atta tells us that he believes that his mental ill health is attributed to the death of his twin and abandonment by his father.
Mental illness in the UK often walks hand in hand with stigmatisation but suffer from poor mental health in Ghana and you can find yourself triply disadvantaged by not only stigma but also illness and poverty. Luckily for Atta he sought help and through numerous visits across the city to a mental hospital he discovered the Basic Needs project.
The Basic Needs Trust has a long standing relationship with Comic Relief, who have funded the the project since 2002 and their work is resulting in positive change in not only the lives of sufferers of mental illness but also in the society as a whole.
The Basic Needs unique approach is one that the UK could benefit from sitting up and paying close attention to. From a users first visit to one of the many Outreach Clinics that the Trust runs, the family and carers are also involved, receiving guidance and support in areas from understanding the specific illness to practical support. The mental illness is not treated by Basic Needs as a stand alone problem of one person but as one of a whole, taking in to account the ‘bigger picture’ of a person’s entire situation – including the people surrounding them.
Bernard Alando, the Trusts Knowledge and communications Officer explained to us that they believe that to just give a service user medication or a financial grant is not beneficial as stand alone help. Ongoing support to ensure that people understand their medication and it’s importance in maintaining good health and financial training prior to loaning money are key to ensuring success.
On the streets of Accra there are visible signs of a real push for change to promote awareness of mental ill health, Whilst driving we passed numerous Basic Needs signs sharing their motto:
Mental Health is a right – not a privilege
above: Basic Needs sign hanging outside their office
Local self help groups run regularly for those with mental health issues and provide a vital source of information and community as well as ongoing support and is run just like an AGM, with minutes from the last meeting being read and voted through in agreeance at it’s commencement.Men and women join in discussions on topics that they decide are relevant, passing on their knowledge and experiences, helping each other whilst helping themselves.
above: A self help group meeting in Accra, run by Basic Needs Trust
Basic Needs runs rotated funding to it’s project beneficiaries. Money is loaned out to a set number of users, a term of repayemnt is agreed and then once that loan is repaid the money is then used to help another beneficiary. One example is Atta (pictured below), whom expressed an interest in learning carpentry. He was supported in his desire to forge a career for himself by receiving carpentry training and finally a loan with which to buy tools.
Hearing Atta talk with extreme pride, via a translator, about the furniture that he now makes really is testament to the wonderful work that the Basic Needs Trust can do.
Such a positive and optimistic end to our visit to Accra with Comic Relief to celebrate the good work achieved in the past 25 years with the public’s support – to anyone who has ever donated, thank you.
Basic Needs has currently been awarded a grant of £1,000,000 to support their work improving the lives of those with mental ill health in Ghana and Tanzania.
To find out more, please visit the Basic Needs website: www.mentalhealthanddevelopment.org
I'm Annie and I live in the depths of the New Forest. Mother to many, wife to one, blogger, creative type, lover of real books and a bit of a lush.
This had me welling up. It is so lovely to hear of such success and you’re right, the approach is one that the UK could do with taking.
Mummy Glitzer recently posted..A United Community
It was all I could do not to shed a tear whilst I was there – a happy tear you understand, such a great apparatchik. I’m emailing Bernard from Basic Needs this afternoon with a link to our posts and some photos and I’m sure he’ll feel real pride reading these comments x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
It is truly heart-warming to see money raised via Comic Relief, having a direct and positive influence on improving mental health services for people like Atta. I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like, to have to live with the stigma and sheer appalling quality of life, not to mention such a bleak out look for the future.
It certainly makes you wander doesn’t it? If such a small amount of money, can have such a positive impact in Africa, then why can’t a country like the UK, with it’s wealth, power and resources achieve something similar?
Fives A Fellowship recently posted..25 Years of Comic Relief – Show #TeamHonk Your Support!
Very thought provoking indeed, I explained to them that I felt that the UK should be sending professionals out to learn from them x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
Beautiful post, Annie x
Knackered Mother recently posted..Talk Show
Thanks Helen x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
It’s hard to imagine what life was like for Atta before Comic Relief funding.It’s great to see that the money is actually making a difference to people’s lives.
Indeed – and how great it is that the money given by Comic Relief get recycled to help more and more people. I heard a fact about how a pound given for a red nose in 1988 could still being used in Africa today. Really makes you think.
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
Such a heartwarming story and very well told. Thank you for sharing this Annie.
fivegoblogging recently posted..Art
Thanks Alison, I feel so proud to be able to have spoken to Atta and to write about it all x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
What a wonderful good news story. One of so many I am sure. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Kate Takes 5 recently posted..#TeamHonk – What’s it all about?
Thanks Kate x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
That is inspirational – and as you say, lessons we could learn from.
Sarah recently posted..My Food Week – quick and child friendly veg cous cous
Thank you – focusing on the person and family as a whole rather than the individual is a fantastic approach I thought x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
A beautiful post, and what a wonderful support system they have in place for mental illness – something that could so easily have been overlooked in a poverty stricken area. Like you said, we could certainly take a few pages out of their book on this. xx
Verily Victoria Vocalises recently posted..My Top 5 Comic Relief Singles #teamhonk #goodwork!
Cheers Victoria and thank you for reading x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
It’s so good to see this – I know this is a subject extremely close to your heart, although you are passionate about a great deal. This is a wonderful project and something we could learn from here. Thank you very much for sharing – and so sensitively X
Anya from Older Single Mum and The Healer recently posted..How to Make a Perfect Carbonara Sauce.
Such kind words – thanks Anya x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
Inspirational, the strapline rings so true
there and back again recently posted..Pregnancy diary
I found the strap line extremely powerful too x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
What a powerful story, and beautifully written Annie. Such a vital cause, couldn’t have put it better than those billboards
xxx
MummyNeverSleeps recently posted..The Birds and the Bean
Thanks Cas, I really wanted to share this one – stigma that comes with mental illness is something that so many people can relate to x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
What an amazing idea. It’s funny how you never consider mental health as being an issue in Africa, but of course it’s going to be! What a great way to get people some self-esteem back. And a great way for Comic Relief to spend the money they raise. Thanks for sharing this story.
Sarah MumofThree World recently posted..Postcard from Ghana
I thought that too, I guess most people associate the poverty issues that we have seen some many images and read so many words about over the years.
Comic Relief fund similar projects in the UK too, I’ll ask if I can find out more about those too x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
My goodness, dealing with mental health issues in the UK is hard enough – but to have to deal with it in Ghana, with out all the support networks and general “cultural understanding” must be a living nightmare! Comic Relief is doing an amazing job.
Maggy x
maggy, red ted art recently posted..Kids Crafts: Easy Pom Pom Bunnies
Indeed they are, seeing the positive impact first hand is a really powerful thins and I feel so privileged to be able to share that x
Mammasaurus recently posted..#GoodWork Blogging – Thanks you amazing bunch of awesomenesses
We tend to think it is all about poverty and disease, and we forget that even poor, sick people have issues over and above those immediately threatening their lives. Your post actually normalises these people for me, and helps me to understand the real need for initiatives like Red Nose Day
Actually Mummy… recently posted..Eskimos rub noses…
Thanks Helen. It’s just so sad to think of those people who suffer from mental illness who don’t know what is wrong and who deal with the misunderstanding of others. Epilepsy especially must be so frightening. Thank goodness there is funding to help some of them x
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