BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
No fewer than 17 parents and caregivers of special needs children in Abakaliki have been trained and empowered on emotional resilience by the Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation (CALMHAF).
Speaking on the training at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, on Sunday, the Foundation’s Executive Director, Rev. Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu, said that the training was part of CALMHAF’s Support for Caregivers Initiative (SCGI).
Nwachukwu, who is a trained Child Psychologist, said that the SCGI initiative was aimed at providing vital mental health support, reduce stigma, alleviate stress, and help parents feel heard, supported and seen.
“The initiative, which is a psychosocial engagement programme, focuses on equipping parents with tools to manage depression, anxiety, burnout, social isolation, guilt, shame, stress and other stressors uniquely faced by caregivers of children with special needs.
“The programme sought to address the prevalent issue of parents living in denial or feeling ashamed, encouraging acceptance through practical knowledge, coping strategies and emotional support.
“Through interactive sessions, personal storytelling, and group discussions, the event fostered resilience, promoted self-care, and provided a supportive environment for parents to share experiences and gain encouragement.
“Parents were assessed for anxiety and depression to enable them access immediate support through our free counseling services and community support group,” he said.
Corroborating, the co-Founder of the Foundation, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwachukwu, said that the programme had increased awareness on mental health, enhanced coping skills, built a supportive community and empowered parents to advocate for their children with renewed hope.
Mrs Nwachukwu, who is an Emotional Intelligence Life Coach and a mental health advocate, said that the foundation remained committed to ongoing support through education and interventions, adding that it planned to make the engagement periodic.
A facilitator, Dr Ekenechukwu Odoh, a Pediatrics Physiotherapist with the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, provided an educational overview of special needs children, with a focus on cerebral palsy.
Another facilitator, Dr Chinelo Igbelina, a Volunteer Child Health Specialists with the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, lectured on emotional management and self-care.
Responding, one of the participants, Mrs Doris Egbuke, a parent, thanked CALMHAF Foundation for the programme, while sharing personal experience and insights on stigma and shame in public with her child.
Egbuke said that with the knowledge gained in the programme; she had resolved to be committed to embracing social outings and allowing her ward to interact with others.
Another parent, Mrs Rosemary Idika, who is the mother of Isioma, a cerebral palsy patient who paints with her mouth, challenged mothers and caregivers to discover their special children’s innate talent and help them to develop it.
Idika, whose Isioma owns a YouTube Channel (@AdaureIdika displaying her unique skills, encouraged parents to take pride in their children and prioritise their medical care.
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