Program Area

Weinglo Family International will be organizing this suicide awareness and prevention program in some selected educational institutions within the Accra Municipality in the Greater Accra region. The most recent one was held at the Achimota Senior High Scool, Accra. The program has been scheduled to be replicated within the remaining regions.

Program Association

Weinglo Family International will form partnership with the Tertiary Institutions, Senior High Schools and Corporate Institutions to work together. Distinguished Medical Practitioners and Seasoned Media Personalities with personal experiences will also be rolled on board.

Program Description

Within the higher educational context, adjusting to a college environment and undergoing a significant life course transition may be challenging for some students.
Students encounter a variety of biopsychosocial, environmental, and/or sociocultural factors, which could increase risk for developing depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and suicidal behaviours. Because there are many paths to suicide among the youth, Weinglo Family International will seek to educate the students and build their mental fortitude when they encounter the challenges of weakness and susceptibility.
Distinguished medical practitioners and seasoned media personalities will have an open discussion based on data driven evidence-based and personal experiences.
The medical practitioners will give short lectures on the relationship between suicide and mental illness and substance abuse, as well as other causes and how students can easily identify and help at-risk friends.
The seasoned media personalities who most of these students might have named as their mentors whiles growing up will share their personal experiences to motivate them.
The founder of Weinglo Family International, who became an anti-suicide advocate after nearly taking her own life when she lost her dad (the bread winner of their family) will also share her personal story to motivate the students as to why it’s more important to lose a minute in life than your life in a minute.
Students will be encouraged to ask questions that baffles their mind during the open session. Questionnaires will be administered to the students to elicit their thoughts and knowledge about suicide. This will also in turn help to find the ones who might have harboured thoughts of suicide after going through any of the earlier captured challenges but feels shy to come out as well as those that might have had encounters with suicide attempters.
Students that would be found out to be at risk after the program will be given support through our partners.
The main aim is equip the students with the knowledge and skills necessary for responding effectively to signs of distress, emotional trauma and etc.
Weinglo Family International is highly ambitious because the devastation wrought by suicide demands the strongest possible response.

Conclusion

Suicide and suicide ideation are prevalent issues across senior high schools and tertiary institutions. However, the absence of national policy on suicide prevention, coupled with lack of political will and commitment to empower suicide prevention agencies and negligence of counselling and guidance centres in schools and communities has made battling this canker more difficult.
Weinglo Family International believes that, in a democratic society, the stronger and broader the support for a public health initiative, the greater its chances for success. If the general public understands that suicide and suicidal behaviour can be prevented, and people are made aware of the roles individuals and groups can play in prevention, the suicide rate can be reduced.
It is in view of this that the Weinglo Family International seeks for a degree of co-operation and collaboration with public and private entities that have made a commitment to public awareness of suicide and suicide prevention to help this program in achieving its objectives.