‘You are not alone in your suffering, we are with you’, the message relayed through the ‘Not Alone’ initiative, launched by Whispers of Serenity in 2014, will transpire in a journey across the nation.
The Not Alone Convoy will travel to one city every month. “The aim of this convoy is to reach people who can’t otherwise come to us for therapy and counselling. By doing that, we will be raising awareness about the importance of mental health and how we can help ourselves or someone we know, in overcoming their suffering from mental health disorders. We will be conveying the message of ‘You are not alone’ in a more defined and community-related aspect,” explained Janab Sayyida Basma Al Said, creator of the campaign and the owner of Whispers of Serenity Clinic. She was addressing a press conference to launch the new campaign under the Not Alone programme.
The convoy will include a team of 25 or so people, including Whispers of Serenity team of psychologists, media and volunteers. In addition, there will be a couple of prominent public figures from the society who are passionate about spreading mental health awareness.
The initiative, when first launched, was presented in the form of a video clip in both Arabic and English; it introduced many disorders that could affect ones mental state. The video also featured contributions from prominent public figures and personalities that added more value and strength to the message being relayed, which is ‘You are not alone in your suffering, we are with you’.
Following on the success of that initiative, this year’s convoy will travel around the country, consolidating the on going efforts to raise mental health awareness.
It is a of its kind mental health awareness initiative in the Sultanate. The idea was conceptualised to help people struggling to understand their problems and instil in them the importance of seeking help. “There is still so much stigma related to this issue and, it is hard for people to even acknowledge that they may be struggling with certain areas in their life. It is important to know that mental health diseases, to a large extent, are treatable provided help is given at the right time. It is also important not to ignore the signs, whether it is us or someone we know. We need to be the voice of change and to let everyone know that they are ‘Not Alone’,” states a press note from the Clinic.
The press conference also witnessed the launch of two logos of the ‘Not Alone Convoy’. The campaign team is in the process of collaborating with different companies and groups for sponsorships. “We welcome those who are willing to help to be a part of this. We will have sponsors for food, travel, media and volunteers as well to help us in this initiative,” the press note added.
A video will be made of this journey and will be launched in May 2017, on the occasion of the Mental Health Month. This launch will mark the end of the ‘Not Alone Convoy’ tour around the Sultanate. The hope is to keep spreading awareness and to get as many people educated and involved in bringing a change in and around the Oman and helping people to understand that help is available and that ‘You are not alone’.
