Anganwadi workers under Chumukedima Block were trained on various topics by staff of Community Mental Health Programme (CMHP) under Prodigals’ Home and Senior Supervisor of Women Helpline 181 Nagaland at Chumukedima on February 25.
In the first session, resource persons, Akovi, Nitoka, Sentimenla, Yangerjungla and K. Sani under CMHP, briefed the Anganwadi workers on concept of mental health, mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, other psychotic disorders, depression, anxiety, phobias, etc, convulsive epilepsy and intellectual disability.
They maintained that since, Anganwadi workers work closely with the community and thus the main objective of the training was to accustom them with the cited illnesses/disorders so that they can easily identify persons with such illnesses/disorders and refer them to CMHP project for treatment and intervention.
In the second session, senior supervisor of Women Helpline 181 Nagaland, Chothalu Phesao oriented the participants about toll free number 181 which is a 24X7 helpline number specifically for women. She informed that the helpline number was launched in 2016 in Nagaland and that the helpline number was aimed at providing integrated assistance, medical, legal and psychological assistance to women affected by harassment and violence. Notably, the ‘181’ helpline was launched in India after a horrific rape incident in 2012 in Delhi that sent shock waves across the country.
Phesao further informed that since its inception, the helpline number has assisted and reached out to more than a thousand women in distress. She also informed that the 181 helpline number can also be accessed by anyone desirous of knowing about various facilities and scheme for women in the State of Nagaland. Ending the session, Yangerjungla, on behalf of “Menstrual Initiative Nagaland” briefed about the initiative of how it aims to end sanitary pads poverty, break the stigma attached to menstruation and make bio-degradable pads available for all who cannot afford the same.
Later, the participants, which included 18 Anganwadi workers, were given sanitary pads by “Menstrual Initiative Nagaland”.
It may be noted that CMHP Project provides services for persons with the above cited illnesses such as diagnosis and medication by a consultant psychiatrist from Guwahati and clinical psychologist from CIHSR, Dimapur. The CMHP funded by Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives, Bangalore and technically supported by Ashadeep, Guwahati, is currently intervening in all the villages/wards under Chumukedima Block.