500 students join Bengaluru run to open up conversations on mental health

On Sunday, more than 2,000 individuals, comprising approximately 500 school students, took part in the World Mental Health Day Run organized in Bengaluru's Cubbon Park. The youth-led event, initiated by Imaan Zara Khan, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student, aimed to encourage discussions surrounding emotional well-being among young people. The run featured three categories: 3K, 5K, and 10K races, all promoting the message that every step taken during the run symbolized a conversation about mental health that had never been had.

The 3K category, nicknamed "Unspoken Run," emphasized the importance of initiating conversations about mental health. Participants were urged to view the run as part of a larger movement to make such conversations more accessible. This initiative, known as Project S.A.F.E. (Student Advocacy for Emotional Well-Being), is spearheaded by Imaan, who founded the student-led organization to address adolescent mental health through research, storytelling, and systems-level advocacy.

Imaan's primary objective with Project S.A.F.E. is to shift the conversation beyond mere awareness and delve into the crucial question of what happens next when a young person is struggling. Specifically, she seeks to understand who identifies the signs of distress, how these individuals respond, and how they connect the young person with the appropriate support systems.

Looking ahead, Imaan plans to present Project S.A.F.E. at the 10th 1M1B Summit held at the United Nations Office in Geneva. At this global gathering, she will join fellow youth leaders, institutions, and stakeholders from around the world in discussing mental health challenges.