K’si: Global Shapers engage OKESS students on Depression

More than 200 students at the Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS) in the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi, on Saturday benefitted from an anti-suicide workshop dubbed #DepressionLetsTalk.

The programme was organized by the Global Shapers Community – Kumasi Hub, in partnership with the Girls Education Initiative – Ghana (GEIG) and the Campaign for Female Education (CamFed)under the MasterCard Scholars Program.

The facilitator, Joseph Kwame Ativor took the students through depression, its cause, stress, management and the interventions available at their disposal, even as they study in school.

Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that globally, one person commits suicide every four seconds and in Ghana, at least 5 people reportedly commit suicide.

Depression has been described as a common mental disorder that presents one with an unhappy mood, loss of interest or pleasure, decreased energy, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, and poor concentration.

Depression is known to affect more than 300 million people of all ages.

Speaking to Ultimate News after the break-out session on the school’s campus, Project Lead for #DepressionLetsTalk, Deborah Appiah-Kyeremeh mentioned that the engagement with the students was a deliberate plan by the Hub to help create awareness and support for people who might be going through depression.

“Last year we realized that the suicide rates had increased among the youth, so Global Shapers Community – Kumasi Hub, as part of our core duties decided to undertake mental health anti-suicide campaign.”

“The campaign includes social media awareness where we discuss issues relating to the topic on all our social media handles and the second one is where we go to the various senior high schools to engage the students.”

“We go with resource persons, volunteers as well as facilitators to create awareness about mental health, interventions and management.”

Ms. Appiah-Kyeremeh further expressed content about the Osei Kyeretwie event explaining “today’s event was very good; the break-out session was very effective and the students were very open. The ladies and gentlemen shared things that on a normal day they will not be able to share with you.”

Other schools that have benefited from similar exercise includes the Armed Forces Senior High School.

 

By: Ghana/Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM/Patricia Ama Bonsu

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