MindFreedom Ghana seeks support for Community Support Networks

MindFreedom Ghana (MFGh), a mental health awareness organisation, has called on corporate bodies in Ghana to support its ongoing fundraising event to help its Community Support Networks (CSNs) function effectively.

In an exclusive interview with The Sikaman Times, MFGh’s Executive Secretary, Dan Taylor, emphasised that most of the organisation’s life-changing activities for people with mental health disabilities take place in Ghana. He highlighted the need for public support for the CSNs, which currently operate in six regions: Greater Accra, Ahafo, Upper East, Ashanti, Northern, and Eastern.

Taylor also mentioned the organisation’s plans to expand by establishing additional CSNs in the remaining 10 regions to further ensure the well-being of individuals with mental health disabilities across the country.

“The fundraising is targeted towards establishing community support networks in all the regions. So in that case, the 10 remaining regions, we intend to establish them,” he explained.

He noted that initial funding from the National Democratic Institute in the U.S. was used to establish the existing CSNs in the six regions.

“These funds were allocated to help people with mental health disabilities develop livelihood skills and sustain themselves,” he added.

However, after the project ended, the organisation struggled to continue funding the CSNs due to the depletion of resources invested in these livelihood initiatives.

“Some of these livelihood skills included basket weaving, particularly in the Upper East and Northern regions. Others were trained in soap making and snail farming,” Taylor said.

He stressed that now is the time to revitalise the support networks. “To make them function, we need to provide the necessary funding so they can continue the work they started.”

Taylor underscored the importance of funding as the backbone of MFGh’s operations. As part of the organisation’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, the fundraiser aims to support the CSNs and other programs that assist people with mental health disabilities in Ghana.

The fundraiser, which began online on August 11, 2024, will run until December 2026. Taylor urged corporate organisations to contribute.

“Everything we’re doing is for Ghana, so we urge Ghanaians to donate,” he said. “Not many people use credit cards in Ghana, so we’re working on enabling mobile money donations to make it easier for people to give.”

Taylor also appealed to Ghanaians to contribute generously to help drive the organisation’s initiatives.

Founded in August 2004 and registered in November 2005 as a non-profit organisation, MindFreedom Ghana is dedicated to improving the mental health and lives of people with mental disabilities in Ghana, while promoting their human rights and dignity.