COFO INTRODUCES A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PROGRAM

By Aubrey Alphonse Ligomeka

05 June 2023

Malawi

One of the leading youth-led organisations in the Southern Region of Malawi, known as Community Forum Organisation (COFO), which is based in the Chikwawa District, has introduced a Mental Health Awareness Campaign Program after conducting mental health of sessions, with the Chiyanjano Women’s Group, in the same district.

The organisation, through its COFO field workers, observed that Mental Health issues, in some parts of the district where it operates show that mental health is still not being understood by the ordinary citizens, located in the hard-to-reach areas. Further this, COFO found this lack of understanding has greatly contributed to the increased number of suicide cases, not only in the district, but also across Malawi, as a country.

According to COFO Social Media and Communications Officer, Mr. Precious Stambuli, the program is not funded by the organisation’s partners or donors, and since its introduction COFO has reached to a total number of 13 women from the Chiyanjano group, in the district.

The women who were participants of the first session of the program were drilled in various ways on how to deal with issues related to mental health and more importantly on stress and anxiety.

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