Today, I saw a sad photo exhibition and book launch on mental health in Ghana. I will not recover until after Easter. Do not get me wrong – it was a brilliant piece of work by Nyani the ace photo-artist. It was excellent. But to see people in slave manacles because they have some mental health ailment tore at my heart. But that was not the worst of it. Many such persons are ‘yoked’ to tree trunks by the leg (through a hole just big enough to slip the leg through and fastened with a big, big nail sure to scratch a nasty, painful wound if the ‘prisoner’ tried to escape, or maybe impale them if not cut off a part of the lower leg and foot).
A nation is only as civilised as how it treats its prisoners ... and mental health patients.
But it is poverty too. Families cannot afford about 25 Cedis (about 13 Dollars) a month to pay for the drugs that would create the right chemical balance which would make us call these unfortunates normal.
So they are shackled and manacled to prevent aggression or injury to themselves or embarrassment to their families.
When I saw it, I asked blogger Fiona: What country is this? I knew the answer; I feared the answer; I feared facing up to more evidence about the different layers of existence in this country.
There is a lot of work to do. More important than wasting venom on a corps of misguided journalists who published an inaccurate (not wholly untrue) article about internet fraud in Ghana. I kept quiet about that one because I did not care what they wrote.
I do care about our low level of civilisation and that we treat mental health patients even worse than convicted felons.
If you are also touched, repeat after me:
"I pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart."
Mental Health is a super big big issue in this country... but honestly, as far as I can remember, I have personally never done anything about it. Can we begin by asking ourselves, what can I do to help? May be, I have to redirect that question to Nyani and Fiona? I really would like to help.
ReplyDeleteMental health in Ghana makes me sad, because people with mental disorders are largely categorized as harmful and violent crazies. And I can't even begin to imagine the causes people assign to these disorders. If there's a place to start from it's education - online pictures are great for those who can access it and who know the difference between the descriptive captions of schizophrenia vs. substance-induced psychosis, but how do you reach the rural folks and the ignorant literates? And in the meantime I think we really need to enforce mental health laws to protect people with mental d/o, because this "treatment" is inhumane... There are other dimensions of mental health, but i think this is a good bite size to chew on.
ReplyDeleteI pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart.
ReplyDeleteI pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart
ReplyDeleteI pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart.
ReplyDeleteSome don't seek help not because of the money but because they believe that mental conditions are created by spiritual forces. Mtchew.
ReplyDeleteI pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my hear.
I've seen the pics at Nyani's website. Nana, I now know how you must have felt writing this. How shall we help. Other readers, any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI know the government is stretched thin.... but, I wonder if it provides any type of subsidies for medication for people with a neuro/mental disability/disease?
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ReplyDeleteMy peeps need a mental health check, but i fear 'mad' people on the streets who will harm anybody with no provocation. Maybe it is that fear that makes society on at mental illness strange and act with head-in-sand about it.
ReplyDeleteI pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart.
well stigmatization makes it difficult to accept the issue.mental health is a big issue we need the govt.to really get involve ,it amazing how some countries dedicate not just money but let them be a big part of their society by providing the necessary infrastructure .
ReplyDeleteI pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart.
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ReplyDeleteI was incredibly proud to see this book and exhibition make it into the public arena yesterday. It has been a year's work for Nyani and one he has felt incredibly passionate about. I don't know how you can see someone manacled to a tree, or walking around in leg irons, and not feel driven to act.
ReplyDeleteIf you visit Nyani's blog piece on mental health there are details at the bottom regarding donating.
http://blog.nqphotography.com/2011/01/ghana-mental-health.html
I would encourage people though to also use the contact details on the page to start a discussion on how these pictures and messages can reach a broader audience.
Thank you, Nana Yaw for posting this blog - having the courage to talk about mental illness is a huge step in itself.
NY...as a lawyer you should be campaigning for our fellow unfortunate citizens to enjoy their rights in the full. Or? lol.
ReplyDelete"I pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart."
ReplyDeleteI repeat that part to myself each time: I pledge myself to the service of Ghana, with all my strength and with all my heart.
ReplyDeleteI fear that word you used, 'civilisation'
Nana Yaw Asiedu, thank you so much for writing this. I'm pleased that the images struck a chord with you and your readers, and even more pleased that so many of you feel motivated to speak out and to act. BasicNeeds, the organisation in collaboration with whom I shot these images, do amazing work with precious little, and can certainly use your support. Beyond that, do think about how the message can be spread, and about how pressure can be brought to bear upon those who are responsible for safeguarding the rights of people such as those in the photographs.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.basicneeds.org/ghana/
http://nyani.photoshelter.com/gallery/A-Picture-of-Mental-Health/G0000ycVU2KrvNWw/