A Mental Health Therapist, Maggie Sade Coker, has called for more support aimed at promoting the mental health and creativity of Ghanaian youths. She expressed this call to action at the premier Show & Tell Film, Creativity and Mental Wellness mentoring workshop. The event was organised by Awkward in Accra, a collective that seeks to raise awareness and funds for mental health care access for Ghanaians.
Her appeal stems from her observations of a lack of adequate support for talented individuals in Ghana. In her view, creatives tell the most amazing stories and help improve the overall image of Ghana.
“Just having a supportive, caring, and encouraging voice can really help people out of depression. So these events are so important because they really do bring the community together in such a supportive way.
You know, there’s so much talent in Ghana, and it’s just amazing because I feel they’re just not supported enough. So I believe we need to provide more financial and mental support to our city’s creatives because, in essence, they tell the most amazing stories and help the overall image of Ghana, not just Accra, but Ghana itself. Those creatives are definitely some of the reasons why we moved to Accra. So we need more support for creators, we need more understanding, and we need to allow them to be able to follow their dreams, make mistakes, and start over.”
According to Maggie Sade Coker, the Awkward in Accra collective hopes to raise awareness and funds that will help diverse Ghanaians to access registered mental health care and therapy that they otherwise cannot afford.
“I don’t think people with mental health needs should be shunned. They should be treated with compassion and supported as they are. So yeah, that’s what I would say: more support, more encouragement, more mentorship, more money going into the creatives or the arts, more support.
Let’s help raise mental health awareness and funds for mental health support for vulnerable Ghanaians, because that’s the whole essence of this. We are actually trying to raise awareness and raise some money so that we can give free therapy to Ghanaians who need help.”
For his part, a Filmmaker and Writer, Victor Kyerematen, urged Ghanaians to prioritize mental health like they do physical health.
“We all know that Ghana is ruled by the hustle culture, where everybody is trying to push thier work to the limit to make ends meet. But sometimes we have to think about mental health and our mental care just like we think about our physical health. So that’s what this Show & Tell event is all about. It’s about raising awareness and helping raise funds because half of all ticket revenue goes to the mental wellness insurance fund, which is a non profit community fund. So yes, basically, we’re helping people pay for mental health services they otherwise could not afford. But first, just know that everybody needs somebody to talk to and everybody needs help.”
He further stressed the need to discard stigmatization against mental health patients and advised that everyone should seek mental health.
“There should be no stigma about needing mental health care, just as there’s no stigma around seeking physical health, spiritual health, or mental health in terms of your education and stuff. So everybody should just take it on a normal level. Mental health care is an everyday practice. Make sure you share your thoughts and feelings with people who care for you and support you.”
“If you’re feeling down, talk to your family, talk to a friend, or talk to a registered mental health professional, because they are trained and have the right skills to be able to help you in your situation. So basically, it’s an everyday practice and not a big thing.”
Awkward in Accra collective members include Maggie Sade Coker, Victor Kyerematen, Naa-Ansaah Kofi and Michelle Adjoa Konadu.
