Our work in Ilam continues

As in most of the northern Hemisphere, Spring is just around the corner in the Himalayas. Time for our team of nurses to visit Ilam, a remote rural area on the hills of Eastern Nepal where we’ve been working since 2018. Six years ago, Jaya Mental Health launched its first free community mental health service in the region. Today, we work closely with a small but tremendous group of local community workers, who are doing their best to provide free mental care and advice to people affected by mental illness.

At present, Jaya’s main duty in the region is to offer supervision to all community and health professionals who agreed to take the risk of being shunned by their colleagues and communities, and to become mental health carers.

The stigma surrounding mental illness remains strong in South Asia and most regions in the world. Nevertheless, we are building an army of people and communities ready to deconstruct the myths and misconceptions that surround people’s mental health and emotional well-being. There is a long way to go, but this is a challenge we embrace with open arms!

Find out more about how we are addressing this, and other issues related to mental health care delivery, as well as how you can take part in our movement by visiting www.jayamentalhealth.org.uk or https://www.facebook.com/jayamentalhealth.org.uk/