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Friends of Antara UK is a dynamic charity aiming to raise awareness and offer the necessary facilities, treatments and care to people suffering with mental illness in countries with very little resources. Dedicated to breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and mental illness, Friends of Antara offers direct human, financial and medical support.
After meeting with the Friends of Antara UK Appeals Co-ordinator, Tim Lawes, to find out more about this unique organisation, I was enthused about the extensive research, fundraising and therapies that this organisation provides. At the same time, I was appalled by the sheer deprivation of basic healthcare and the overwhelming number of people suffering from mental illness in large parts of India.
6% of the population have a neuro-psychiatric illness in India
Friends of Antara UK’s 7th Annual Report reveals some disturbing facts and figures; 6% of the population have a neuro-psychiatric illness in India; there are over 120,000 deaths from suicide each year; 3 million people have schizophrenia and 16 million a mood disorder; figures for substance dependency include 10.6 million for alcohol, 3 million for opiates and 8 million for heroin. In many low-income countries only 10% of people suffering a mental illness receive sufficient, evidence based care and 31% of nations have no indicative budget for mental health at all.
The most deprived in these countries receive the least amount of care, the least access to medical attention and usually receive minimal amounts of education about these illnesses. Friends of Antara UK, alongside its partner organisation Antara, based in Kolkata in India, aim to improve such inequalities with the "transfer of knowledge and resources internationally as well as promoting domestic investment in mental healthcare, training and research". They want to work "locally whilst thinking globally".
Friends of Antara UK are continually supporting new projects and programmes developed by their partner organisation Antara. In 2003, Friends of Antara UK chose to support Antara’s proposal for a mental health service for children and adolescents dealing with learning disabilities, behavioural problems, self harm, psychosis and autistic spectrum disorders. This would aim to provide a holistic approach to care such as personal and family therapy, play and art therapy, physical and nutritional support, speech therapy and specialist education and skills training. A 32 bed children’s ward was funded by Friends of Antara UK; the ward has progressed to an effective assessment and intensive therapy unit.
This year, Friends of Antara UK have focused funding priorities on the development of an outpatient department and a major community based Safe Motherhood and Child Survival (SMCS) programme. This programme targeted 300-500 families in areas around Antaragram, South Kolkata.
This programme is designed to work in three ways. Firstly, it offers extensive care in pregnancy and around birth, providing good nutrition for mothers and children and immunisation against five major childhood diseases. Secondly, the programme aims to tackle early causes of childhood mental health problems in the community through mental health education, empowering local communities and self help groups and early detection of mental health illness. Finally, participating families will have the opportunity to learn income-generating skills through Antara’s occupational therapy textiles department. In order to make these services more easily available, parents are given a food supplement and compensation for any time away from work.
As well as financial and material support, Friends of Antara UK stresses the importance of simple human support; being alongside those who are suffering as listeners, advocates and friends.
Each year, Friends of Antara send between 15 and 20 volunteers to work directly with Antara staff and patients, facilitate project development and to provide information through writing reports, gathering photographic evidence on the progress of partner organisations and drawing together proposals for future funding priorities.
General activities in which volunteers participate in include leading group therapy sessions on the rehabilitation wards, helping pharmacy in dispensing medications and applying dressings, and assisting patients in occupational therapy sessions such as textiles, arts and crafts, paper products, farming and gardening.
Friends of Antara UK is a charity committed to every aspect of the eradication of poverty and to improving mental health services. To break the vicious cycle connecting poor mental health with poor living conditions takes time, funding and efforts from every area of the development programme offered by Antara and Friends of Antara. It also calls for international awareness and action to diminish the health problems faced by many of the poorest nations in the world.
These charities offer us an insight into a multi-faceted, successful and progressive programme of development.
To find out more about Friends of Antara UK or to make a donation please click here.
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