200 Togo hairdressers in training to become mental health ambassadors

After Abidjan (twice) and Douala, the “Bluemind Foundation” has since yesterday, Monday, July 17, 2023, set down its suitcases in Lomé for the 4th edition of its mental health promotion program, “Heal by Hair”. For three days, this program brings together in Lomé, 200 Togolese hairdressers (selected from the 420 who had expressed their interest) from several districts of the capital will be equipped to better meet the aspirations of their clients who often do not hesitate to share with them about their daily lives and the problems they encounter.

During this edition, it will be a question of giving rudiments to these hairdressers, through different modules, to better guide their clients in their daily difficulties. "Several modules to be developed such as those relating to mental health, the various disorders, listening and empathy, psychological distress, sexual violence and a set of subjects that affect not only women but all of us on a daily basis", explained the President and Founder of the Bluemind Foundation, Marie-Alix de Putter, during a meeting with the press.

She set as the objective pursued through this training which will have to dedicate ambassadors of her foundation and the promotion of mental health in Togo, those who will have to join the 111 already dedicated in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, "the training hairdressers in psychological first aid and providing them with the tools to be able to support the mental health and well-being of their clients”. also, said Ms. de Putter, in the long term, "we intend to train 1,000 hairdressers, by 2035, to reach 2,000,000 people through them in 20 African cities".

Member of the Scientific Council of the Bluemind Foundation, and Psychiatrist by profession, Dr Sonia Kanékatoua, a stakeholder in the training program concocted for these hairdressers, explained that "mental health is having the possibility of developing one’s abilities despite the difficulties of life, find the physical and psychological elements ; and face these difficulties and bring the community, the family to move forward”. She has therefore, to ensure this mental health invited to "observe the rules of hygiene, take care of her sleep, avoid disturbances linked to lack of sleep, have a restful sleep for the body, stop the consumption of psycho-active substances (drugs, alcohol), being well with those around you, finding a consensus on any problem that arises. In short, health is not the absence of disease. You can have a disease, but have well-being. All in all, said Dr. Kanékatoua, it is urgent that we be ourselves, our own doctor.

On the merits or the real motivations of such a Heal by Hair program, the President and Founder of Bluemind Foundation, confided that this initiative of her foundation started from the statistics according to which, according to the WHO, "116 million people who suffer from mental disorders in Africa, 66 million African women with an average age of 25 who suffer from depression. The idea is to go through the people they see them on a daily basis, with whom they already confide, who are the hairdressers”.

The first Ambassadors of the Heal by Hair program will be announced on Thursday July 20th.

T228