Bahass Foundation launches vocational skills training to support mental health recovery in Wa

On World Mental Health Day, the Bahass Foundation introduced a vocational skills training program to assist residents in rehabilitation, aiming to reduce relapses due to unemployment and social stigma. The training includes practical skills in tailoring, smock dressmaking, and traditional weaving, enabling residents to earn a living and reintegrate into their communities, according to the Chief Executive Officer, Ilyasu Yussif Baba.

Clinical rehabilitation alone is insufficient without productive activities and sustainable livelihoods, as the foundation noted.

Substance abuse is responsible for about 80% of current admissions at the facility, with other cases linked to financial stress, business failures, or marital breakdown. The facility currently houses 72 residents, comprising 60 males and 12 females, of which 18 have begun the vocational training, with two already proficient in independent weaving.

Gifty Mary Sunchebe, a resident from Nandom who battled substance abuse in Koforidua, shared her newfound skill of coiling thread for weaving. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reintegrate into her family's life and encouraged families to support those struggling with substance dependence. Bayuo Fortunatus, learning smock weaving, emphasized that vocational skills can overcome social stigma and bring financial independence. "Being in a mental home does not mean your life has ended," he stated.

The event featured Mohammed, known as "Killer Ntua," who shared his successful reintegration into society after recovering at the facility, getting married, and returning with his wife and young son. Ali Labaran, another resident, highlighted the dual role of the facility as a recovery center and addiction detoxification center.

The Upper West Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Sylvester Basagnia, commended the foundation for prioritizing people's lived experiences and perspectives. He warned against the stigma, derogatory labeling, and abandonment of individuals with mental health challenges by their families and communities. Basagnia also addressed the substance abuse issue in Wa Municipality, particularly the use of tramadol, pethidine, illicit alcohol, and nyee, a local smokeless powdered snuff.

The Chairman, Biihee Naa Naa Jaafar Pelpuo, emphasized that mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of social status or religious devotion. He stressed the importance of supporting individuals as a collective responsibility to maintain community wellbeing. Fatawu Dauda, Coordinator of the Wa Community Foundation, described the Bahass Foundation as an essential pillar in the Upper West Region, providing essential support to people living on the streets when their families cannot care for them.