Project Description
The current challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the various crises Lebanon is going through have created a sense of instability and have caused uncertainty and fear for the youth in Lebanon. For this reason, with the help of the YOU ARE NOT ALONE platform, shedding light on a crucial topic that’s considered a stigma in Lebanon, Mental Health, will be made possible. We firmly believe that by training and guiding the Lebanese youth, and by giving them the essential tools needed, Lebanon will have an added value because the youth will be revived and future generations will be guided towards the right path.
Training 1: What is mental health
On Sunday October 31, 2021 the leaders of the Lebanese Girl Scout association attended a very informative training about mental health. During the 2 hour training, Lydia Mutare defined mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” she guided the leaders and gave them important pointers and strategies essential to create a safe space for members suffering from mental health issues. Especially after the August 4 Beirut Blast and the different crises Lebanon is going through, focusing on mental health and learning different mechanisms to cope with children suffering from various mental health issues is of utmost importance. Hence, we firmly believe that these sessions provided by Lydia will definitely give our leaders the tools needed to create a welcoming and loving environment to anyone suffering from any kind of mental health issue.
Training 2: Mental health and youth
On Sunday January 23, 2022 the leaders of the Lebanese girl Scouts association attended the second virtual training, youth Mental Health. The leaders got introduced to the prevalent stigma against mental health. In different breakout rooms, they shared their thoughts about various topics including depression, anxiety, the factors triggering mental health in young people and the essential coping strategies needed to deal with emotions and relief stress.They were guided by Lydia Mutare through a very thorough presentation which broadened their knowledge and helped them get a clearer understanding of how to deal with youth mental health. This session gave them the tools needed to support young people going through any kind of mental health issue.The leaders got introduced to the C.A.R.E approach which made it easier for them to grasp the tips they could use to help themselves and others cope with mental health issues. Even a clear action plan was set to make everything as clear as possible. We can positively say the leaders became more aware and realized the important role they could play in helping individuals going through tough and challenging times by applying non judgmental listening and providing the information needed to raise awareness.They talked about the different approaches needed to deal with different age groups and hence had a clearer understanding of why mental health is an important issue to target at each phase. Thus, the leaders acknowledged that by creating a safe space for young people going through any kind of mental health issue, they could play an important and crucial role in assisting the individual to recover, to feel at peace, and hence have a positive impact on them and their surroundings.