The mental heath awareness journey in last event
‘ The Journey - Mental Health Awareness Campaign comes to a thrilling end this Saturday.
The campaign will culminate with an exhibition that will display and showcase a series of artworks that raise awareness around mental health issues. The artworks will be created by two conceptual artists, Refilwe Phaladi and Shirley Kadziya. The exhibition that will take place at the Ryt Refreshment, who are sponsors for the session, in Phase 4, has been curated by Kate Kwati and Obed Mokhuhlani of Empire Arts Consultancy.
According to the coordinator of the event,
Phaladi, the exhibition will bring to an end an array of events that they have been hosting as part of their campaign. She also highlights that proceeds from the sale of the artworks will be used to support mental health awareness in Botswana.
The intention, she says, is to purchase winter necessities and donate them to patients at the Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital. She also tells this publication that they will reprint t- shirts that were previously created during one of the events, and have them placed in hospital/ institutions, helping those who are dealing with mental health issues.
“We also want to help support organizations that continue to help individuals and the community suffering from mental health issues in whatever capacity possible,” she says.
The campaign comes on the backdrop of the many challenges faced by the diagnosed as well as pre- diagnosed Batswana with mental health conditions.
Phaladi of Art Beet by Refilwe Phaladi explains that the whole aim of the campaign is to raise awareness on mental health issues affecting Batswana and their effects. She recently informed this publication that the campaign also seeks to de- stigmatize discussing and dealing with mental health issues, encourages the culture of mental health check- ups and treatment, as well as discourage mythical beliefs related to mental health illness.
Partners and Sponsors of the campaign include Nqoosa Development, Botswana Centre of Public Integrity, Youth Empowered Botswana, Rainbow Embroidery Botswana, PdPictures BW, Shirley Kadziya and Diamond Square. Other events that formed part of the campaign included a round table discussion on Batswana and mental health, men and women discussion on relationship traumas, young adults’ conversation on youth and mental health.
The final event will be an exhibition that will showcase some of the works that were created during the campaign.