The management of Soul Foundation Limited in partnership with its close allies has tightened its resolve to bring beauty to the lives of patients at Butabika National Referral Mental hospital.
This is being realized through magnificent Christmas feasts like the one held on Friday, December 9th, which was served at the premises of the Mental Hospital.
The high-stake feast, which comprised of several delicacies was an embodiment of the end of year party thrown to the staff and the patients of the mental health facility by Soul Foundation.
Tailored around the theme “Smiles for Miles”, the event was organized and sponsored by Soul Foundation Limited, alongside key allies, which among others included; Cocacola, Fitness Junction Gym and SPA, Liberty Life Assurance, Mandela Millers, Yokuku Uganda, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Quality Supermarket, Capital Shoppers, St. Paul’s Church of Uganda, Buziga, Psalms Food Industries, Exceed Catering, Drew & Jack’s, SoHope Foundation, ST. Luke’s Chapel Butabika, Gonahasa Kitchen, The Women’s Getaway and Lot2545.
Not only did the sponsors of the event throw a party to the Butabika cohort, but also handed over huge consignments of relief incentives to patients, which included shoes, clothes, beddings, food and other items to use in daily life.
The event also involved handing over gifts to exemplary performers in the field of rehabilitating mental health patients, and cake cutting in which more than 1,500 patients were served a big cake in their hands, with choir singing Christmas carols.
Ms. Gerry Opoka, the Executive Director for Soul Foundation Ltd while talking to the press at the sidelines of the event noted that as Soul Foundation, they started a nutrition campaign for Butabika about six weeks ago.
In this campaign, she said, a variety of food items which included fruits, vegetables, rice, matooke, deep fried chicken, silver fish, milk and others were made available for patients to eat in their respective wards, so as to enable them realize the importance of life on planet earth.
“There are more negatives than positives. We want to change that. We want to make people understand that mental illness is not such a bad thing. Its just life challenges,” notes Ms. Opoka.
She also observed that by serving a sumptuous meal to patients and the staff, Butabika cohort will realize that there is someone who stands with them, something which perpetuates a feeling of happiness, Joy and hope for normalcy.
While delivering a consignment of relief incentives to the hospital authorities, Ms. Juliet Murungi Okwi, the Business Development Manager Health at Liberty Life Assurance Uganda spoke of the need to clarify public misconceptions around mental health and Butabika Hospital in general.
“We partnered excitingly because we want to create awareness, to prevent the stigma, that people have locally about Butabika……… We need to change the narration as to what people think of mental health,” notes Ms. Murungi.
It should of course be noted that Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital has for decades been at the forefront of rehabilitating individuals with mental issues by offering them therapy, a pivotal step in ensuring their mental stability.
The phenomenon of mental illnesses escalated with the advent of Covid-19 pandemic in Uganda, in which cases of human mental disorders were so much pronounced due to desperation, which increased cases of suicide in the country.
From the experience of Covid-19, the nation came to learn that when one is isolated, without a job, and most especially when he/she has no idea of what tomorrow is going to hold, they are prone to getting a psychiatric breakdown.
Friday’s event was therefore intended to send a clear message to the government of Uganda and other stakeholders to elevate the facility’s capacity through increased funding, such that it is able to effectively deal with the ever-escalating mental health challenges among citizens from different divides across the country.
“The government should be cognizant that this place needs to be elevated. Butabika National Referral Hospital should be elevated, providing more facilities for people to come, heal and get back home,” Ms. Mulungi explained.
“We want to end the stigma related to mental health, to bring similes on those that have lost away around this world, or for the future.”
Also, while addressing the participants at the event, the Head of Nursing Department at the mental health facility Ms. Angella Ilakut appreciated the impressive works by Soul Foundation Ltd in its efforts to stand with Butabika amid public trivialization and other challenges.
“I would like to appreciate the organizers of this great function, our great friend Gerry, your team and partners that you have managed to mobilize for a job well done,” notes Ms. Ilakut.
Events like the one witnessed on Friday are part of a wider effort to perpetuate a positive perception about mental health and Butabika in the public domain.
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