Health firm launches campaign to tackle child abuse, peer influence

Amani Health Inc, the teletherapy company, has launched a campaign aimed at helping children deal with abuse and mental health-related issues.

In a statement, the firm said the campaign tagged ‘Speak Up Now’ is targeted at minors between the ages of 6 to 17.

The organisation said the campaign became imperative in the wake of rising abuse against young students in society.

Buttressing its point, the company cited data from the Child Protection Network of Lagos state ministry of youths and social development which revealed over 2,514 cases of child abuse were recorded in 2020 and 520 cases in 2021.

“The goal of the ‘Speak Up Now’ campaign is to educate, enlighten and help students develop an understanding of their emotional, behavioral, social, and psychological wellbeing and encourage them to prioritize their own mental well-being,” the statement reads.

Fasuyi Oluwarotimi, the founder of Amani Health, said the firm is seeking to create an environment where parents can be able to speak out if they identify negative behavioral patterns among children.

“A child’s condition should not be a family secret. Parents should speak out and seek help. As a company, we care so much about the formative years of children because we believe that it is the year the necessary changes can be made. So, it’s not time to keep silent, but to speak out and pay attention.”

The “Speak Up Now’ campaign will consist of a series of interactive and engaging activities, workshops and events designed to educate and enlighten students about reducing societal stigma surrounding mental health and having a healthy school-life balance.

“It will also help to identify negative behavioral patterns among children such as trauma, anxiety, abuse, suicide, social isolation, aggression, violence, stress, neglect, domestic violence, bullying, peer influence, academic challenges etc. and how they can seek help if needed,” the statement added.

“We believe that prioritiing mental health education for students is crucial to creating a more positive and healthy learning environment and can also help prevent the development of serious mental health problems such as suicide, academic challenges, anxiety, depression, aggression, violence etc. By educating students how to recognize and manage their emotions.”