Monrovia – The Encourage Liberia Counseling and Career Foundation (EACCF), a non-governmental and non-profit organization, recently hosted a one-day mental health and relationship conference in Monrovia under the theme “A Collective Approach to Looking After Mental Health.”
By Claudius T. Greene, Jr., contributing writer
The event took place on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at the Sinkor Palace Hotel. This annual conference serves as a learning platform for individuals looking to enter into relationships or marriage, as well as for couples seeking to maintain healthy family dynamics and learn conflict resolution tools. It brings together students from various universities, colleges, and institutions, alongside health professionals, service users, researchers, and those interested in mental health and relationship counseling.
EACCF has been working through constructive partnerships in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda, focusing on psychosocial counseling, career and recreational services, mental health training, and awareness. As a Christian institution, EACCF is dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by women, children, men, youth, and the disabled community, including mental illness, poor health, harassment, discrimination, inequality of opportunities, and violence.
In addition to providing counseling training and support services for affected men and children across Africa, EACCF supports schools with materials through constructive engagement and partnerships. The organization’s vision is to empower individuals and families with effective tools and necessary skills to realize their full potential, promote transformation, and contribute to society through efforts that foster a healthy and sustainable environment.
EACCF’s mission is to create an enabling environment where every child, individual, and family is cared for mentally, spiritually, physically, socially, and economically through professional health and counseling services. Their goal is to promote a safe environment for men, women, and children, including people with disabilities, to fulfill the dreams of a new generation.
Fenny Taylor Diggs, a Perinatal Loss Counselor, presented on how to provide counseling to women and men who lose their babies. She emphasized that perinatal loss encompasses the loss of a baby during pregnancy (miscarriage), at birth (stillbirth), or after birth (neonatal death).
Diggs highlighted the high neonatal mortality rate in Liberia compared to the maternal mortality rate, explaining that more babies are dying than women.
“Our perinatal mortality rate went from 30.23 per 1,000 births in 2013 to 42.05 in 2019-2020,” she explained. “That means if thousands of women in Liberia give birth, 30 of the babies will die.” Diggs aimed to educate participants on how to support those who experience such losses and urged them to be patient and follow the lead of grieving parents.
Josephine L. N. Freeman, a Nurse Educator and Counselor, discussed marital conflict, describing it as disagreements between spouses. She noted that conflicts are inevitable in relationships but can affect the relationship’s stability and happiness, particularly impacting children. Freeman emphasized that unresolved issues lead to dissatisfaction and emotional distance, affecting the entire family. She identified extreme tactics, hurtful remarks, silent treatment, and grudges as factors contributing to marital conflict.
During the conference, EACCF also officially launched its organization, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support mental health and relationship counseling in Liberia and beyond.
