Monrovia – In a move to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health in Liberia, the Rebecca Blamo’s Mental Health Awareness and Well-being C.I.C. Liberia Project has launched a five-day public campaign titled “Taking Mental Health to the Street.”
By Francis G. Boayue, [email protected]
The campaign, which began on April 14th, 2023, is taking place across key locations in Montserrado and Margibi Counties, including Duport Road Market, ELWA Market, Waterside, Red Light, and Kakata. It aims to raise awareness, promote understanding, and provide mental health resources to the public through direct street outreach.
Speaking at the launch, the organization’s Founder and Executive Director, Madam Demelza Honeyborne said the campaign is designed to promote open dialogue around mental health and provide vital information to communities that often lack access to such services.
“This initiative is non-clinical but deeply informative. Our team directly engages with individuals in market spaces, distributing educational leaflets and providing resources on mental health,” she explained.
Madam Honeyborne, a Liberian national with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Health and Clinical Psychology from the United Kingdom, stressed the importance of trauma-informed and community-centered mental health services, especially in the wake of Liberia’s civil conflict, the Ebola crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is a pressing need for mental health support across Liberia. We want people to know they are not alone. Mental health is a universal concern, and the journey to healing begins with open dialogue,” she noted.
The current campaign builds on several grassroots initiatives launched in two thousand twenty-four. Among them was the Megaphone Campaign, where volunteers took to the streets using megaphones to deliver public messages about mental health awareness. Another was the Peer Support Groups, which brought together individuals on a monthly basis to talk about their feelings, share their personal stories, and provide mutual support in a safe space.
The organization also hosted Trauma Workshops aimed at helping participants understand and heal from past emotional wounds. Additionally, its Educational Outreach program distributed more than ten thousand flyers and leaflets to inform communities about common mental health challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.
These activities, powered entirely by volunteers and shaped by lived experiences, continue to make mental health education and support more accessible to communities across Liberia.
To expand its reach and deepen its impact, the organization is calling for donations, partnerships, and media collaborations.
“This is a movement,” Honeyborne said. “We are bringing mental health to the heart of every Liberian community.”