Conversation Around Mental Health Takes Center Stage in JCIN OOU Week.

By Tinuola Oluwadamilola

One of the leading foremost organizations in Nigeria and beyond the shores of the country, the Junior Chamber International, OOU Collegiate Local Organization, embarked on a week-long mental health awareness program to sensitize the entire school community on the need for a balanced mental health state following the pressures within the school community and the outside world generally.

The mental health awareness week was flagged off with an awareness walk around the school with the display of placards bearing inscriptions and messages about the overall mental health care, also featured courtesy visit lecturers, and having one one-on-one dialogues with students and other persons including bus drivers at the school bus park, on the need for a balanced mental health state.

The second day was marked with a seminar on mental health held at the ICAN lecture theatre, and which had in attendance the university’s health nurse, Mr. Olufemi Bankole, and Dr. Aladejare from ASIDO Foundation. The seminar featured talks from the invited speakers on the overall mental well-being of of individuals, particularly the students, and one of the major highlights of the seminar was the creation of a mental health club that would have creatives from both print and media create content to create mental health awareness in the university. The third day following the seminar on mental health well-being the previous day, was the organizing of a free medical checkup in partnership with the OOU health center which saw both students and other adults alike get their blood pressure checked, height and weight and also receive free medical consultation from the nurses that had come to provide the health services.

The fourth day was a visit to The International School, OOU to imbibeinculcateating in the younger generation the dangers of a damaged mental state, and creating awareness on how to have a good mental state of well-being. To wrap up the mental health week, the organization had a hangout at the sports complex inside the university to relax and unwind. It featured the playing of games, sharing of snacks, and a mini get-together amongst members of the organization.