Not everyone who attempts suicide lives to tell the tale but for one mental health advocate, surviving suicide was the catalyst that pushed her to educate others against the act.
Mental health advocate and the CEO of Weinglo Family International Gladys Boatengmaa Andoh on Sunday revealed that she attempted suicide while she was in high school.
This, she said, was at the time she had lost her father on whom she depended on so much in her life.
“I was very close to my dad so his death really got to me. I was at the point of taking my life and I attempted twice. At that moment of my life I didn’t find anything important again because the man was there for me, taught me, any time that I needed someone to talk to he was there. I was a real daddy’s girl,” she said at a press conference organized by Weinglo Family International.
Mrs Andoh said that following her father’s death she did not see the need to live on and decided to “follow my father” to his grave.
However, after failing to take her own life twice, the Weinglo CEO said she was left to reflect on her life and the choice she has made.
“I decided to turn my pain into a passion, by being an advocate. A lot of young people go through this and at the adolescent stage; we don’t want to open up, talk to your pants, teachers or even let your friends know what you going through.”
Saving others
Mrs Andoh said her passion to save others from attempting suicide led to the creation of her NGO which does not only advise others, especially young students, against suicide but also proffer help and solutions when needed.
“Because no matter what you go through there is no need to take your life and I use myself as an example. I am a better person now and impacting the world. There is a lot of things ahead, sometimes the journey can be very painful and very bad but the more you push you will definitely get there,” she said.
Through her company, Weinglo Family International, she launched the campaign ‘Suicide Is Not An Option’ where, the CEO said, she took on the role of educating people and subsequently saved others in its five years of operations.
Mrs Andoh said she sets her sights on high schools where through a survey her institution organized found some students with varying degrees of issues have thought of attempting suicide.
Mrs Andoh indicated that pressures on students to succeed in all subjects from both parents and teachers, exams failure, financial challenges, bullying and others have led some students to contemplate suicide.
Hence, the campaign, has reached schools like Achimota School, West Africa Senior High School, Accra Girls SHS and Accra Wesley Grammar among others.
Mrs Andoh stated that at a young age when the youth believe they have no one to talk to she said it was important she and her company spread the suicide prevention awareness in the schools and have one on one conversations when needed.
“We want to create and avenue where people can just text and then they get someone online to help, an avenue where someone can walk to us to talk…sometimes you need just a breather and some space, we want to create that avenue and we want to reach all senior high schools in Ghana.”
Mrs Andoh said this outreach has saved many a students and even adults adding they want to make a bigger impact to ensure that mental health no longer becomes a topic people shy away from.
“We provide therapy, sometimes counselling and prayer sessions for people who need it. We have a certified clinical psychologist on our team who offers therapy to those we know need it,” she noted.
Aside from the mental health advocacy, Mrs Andoh said she and Weinglo have embarked on other philanthropic projects including feeding people, providing sanitary pads for the underprivileged among others.
Decriminalisation
Also at the conference, chairman of Weinglo Family Int. board Jerry Andoh commended parliament for decriminalising suicide. She noted that it was important the general public recognize that those who attempt suicide need help and not jail.
He however indicated that more work need to be done adding that her outfit is seeking to spread the awareness in other parts of the country as Weinglo marks its fifth anniversary.
Meanwhile, Mrs Andoh also called on the general public and investors to aid the NGO in ensuring that help financial or otherwise is given to those who need it.
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