VICTORIA, Seychelles, Armed with their brush and paint, students from various schools gathered at the Wellness Centre in Les Cannelles yesterday for an Art Collab to showcase their understanding of mental health on the outside wall of the centre. The event forms part of a broader three-day Mental Health Fest organised by the Health Care Agency in collaboration with the Rotary Clubs of District 9220. The initiative aims to create awareness about mental health in the country, promote positive mental health, showcase different services working towards betterment of mental health as well as remove stigma.
The Art Collab and the other activities are being held under the theme Positive Mental Health: A Renewed Hope. The event brought together young people from different schools who used art as a medium to express their understanding of mental health challenges. The collaborative painting session allowed students to work together on a shared canvas. It is also in commemoration of Rotary Day on February 23, 2024.
When officially launching the event yesterday morning, Health Minister Peggy Vidot said the promotion of mental health is an integral part of the pursuit of better health for all, and mental health cannot be separated from any other aspect of wellbeing. Minister Vidot stated that stigmas on mental health should stop. She said Seychelles has come a long way in understanding mental health and mental ill-health, but stigma remains a barrier to the recognition of a person’s needs and access to the care that will help to restore wellbeing.
It is also important to understand that a mental disorder is a disorder of the whole person. Just as we do not define a person as an arthritis or appendicitis, a mental illness or condition should not be our definition of that human being, said Minister Vidot. She also noted that the transformation of the former lazil into the wellness centre reflects the theme of positive mental health and a renewed hope. The very concept of this centre is an affirmation of wellness, a place where hope is restored and lives are rebuilt with the support and dedicated care of a multidisciplinary team, said the minister.
From 9am till 3.30pm the students making use of different colourful paints sponsored by Penlac Company Limited, depicted mental health through beautiful flowers, rainbow and people. Also present at yesterday’s event were the president of Rotary Club of Victoria, Ambassador Marie Pierre Lloyd, World Health Organisation representative Dr Rex Mpazanje, Rotary and Rotaract members, staff and patients of mental health services, primary and secondary school students. The launch also featured performances by two renowned artists, singer Tania and poet Raspyek. The Mental health fest which is unfolding over three days, aligns with similar activities in other countries within Rotary Clubs of District 9220, including Djibouti, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, and Reunion.
