A total of 125 pregnant women and lactating mothers living with mental health issues in the Upper West Region have been targeted for support in cash and kind to enable them engage in meaningful economic activities for their well-being.
The women, who were selected from the various districts across the region by a non-governmental organisation, Center for People’s Rights Initiative (CPRI), have benefitted from cash grants to the tune of GH¢600 each to serve as seed capital for petty trading, whereas others who were interested in apprenticeship have received donations of items such as sewing machines and hair driers with GH¢300 each for ancillary tools to undergo training.
In a meeting to present some items and cash to the beneficiaries at Jirapa on Thursday, the Programmes Coordinator for the three-year project, dubbed “Enhancing Maternal Health of Pregnant Women and Lactating mothers in Ghana”, Mr Dominic Wunigura, stated that the CPRI wanted to showcase to the world that persons living with mental illness were capable of earning a living and contributing to national development.
“These are women with mental health condition, but are still able to have families of their own, so we seek to advance their wellbeing with this support which is based on their own interests in one economic activity or the other, and monitor them with the help of other stakeholders to help them achieve their aims,” he stated.
He said the project, which was scheduled to end in June this year, was being implemented with support from the United Kingdom Aid Direct (UK Aid Direct) through CBM UK.
“We provided cash of GH¢600 each to 11 people to commence the sale of commodities like cereals, and two sewing machines, as well as a hair drier and tools to three others with additional GH¢300 for each to enable them undergo apprenticeship; whereas five other people will receive cash to buy livestock for rearing,” he stated.
Mr Wunigura advised the beneficiaries to utilise the grant and items judiciously to ensure sustainability and longevity, adding that the CPRI would share the lessons learnt on the project with the Alliance for Mental Health Development, to enable them streamline the lessons in their programmes in future.
The Municipal Focal Person for Mental Health, Mr Gervase Dienfaa, lauded the intervention and continuous support from the CPRI for persons living with mental health issues in the area, and said their intervention would go a long way to facilitate their recovery.
“Recovered mental health patients in this area normally stigmatise against leading to depression and relapse cases, but we believe that with a busy schedule they would have less time to brood over stigma, and this will facilitate their total recovery process,” he said.
He assured that his outfit would work with the women to ensure that the support they had received was not wasted, but was put to good use, as was done by others who had previously received support from the CPRI.
A beneficiary, Gifty Nliebo, who received a cash grant of GH¢600 to commence the preparation and sale of pastries, in an interview, commended the organisation for the support, and said the business would help her earn income to cater for her family, as well as purchase her medicines.
From Musah Umar Farouq, Wa
The post NGO supports mentally challenged mothers in U/West appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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