'Not Alone’ awareness project launched in Oman

Muscat: Mental health projects need to be supported for the benefit of the society at large, Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said, owner and founder of the Whispers of Serenity Clinic said.
Emphasising the support that needs to be extended to mental health projects under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes of companies in Oman, she said, “Companies and organisations need to realise that they need to back initiatives linked with mental health which benefit the society at large.”
Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference held on the Mental Health convoy, she said that every year they face dilemma with sponsorship and funding.
“Every year, we face the same dilemma of looking for sponsors and I think people need to know that such initiatives are equally important as anything else going on the country, they help society.”
With the convoy, 20-member squad will travel across the Sultanate from Musandam to Dhofar, to help create awareness about mental health issues, under the ‘Not Alone’ initiative, it was announced.
Starting from December this year, until May 2017, the campaign will go to at least six different locations in Oman, one each month, and conduct talks, workshops and one-to-one sessions on mental health with people living in those areas.
The 20-member team will consist of experts from the Whispers of Serenity Clinic, headed by Sayyida Basma, psychologists, doctors, bloggers, members of the media and volunteers, who will all travel to Sur, Sohar, Salalah, Musandam, and Nizwa among other locations to promote the ‘Not Alone’ initiative.
Conceptualised by Sayyida Basma and her team, the idea for the convoy first came after a struggle of getting people to understand and accept that people going through mental health issues and the importance of seeking help.
“The aim of this convoy is to reach the people, who can’t otherwise come to us for therapy and counselling. There is still so much stigma attached to this issue and, it is hard for people to even acknowledge that they may be struggling with certain areas in their life,” said Sayyida Basma.