The 'Next – Moner Bondhu I am the solution' event was organised by Moner Bondhu, a mental health service providing platform, in association with A2i's human development media, on 6 May, at its premises in 2/16, Block B (8th floor), Lalmatia, Dhaka. The event was aimed to delve into the mental health challenges that the youth of our country face and help them overcome those obstacles to make them better and smarter citizens. Prominent professionals, trainers, and teachers from various fields were involved in the event to provide the training and modules for this youth development program. 

"We want to see the youth becoming smart citizens, to solve problems by themselves so that they can tackle the challenges of future career and personal development. With that in mind, this training module of the youth development programme has been initiated as they will be trained by prominent experts of various fields of the country, which we hope will create more awareness about why mental health is so important," said Tawhida Shiropa, Founder and CEO of Moner Bondhu.

Photo: Moner Bondhu

Welcoming everyone, Moner Bondhu Program Manager Sifat Imam kick-started the event, followed by a speech from CEO Tawhida Shiropa. Afterwards Moner Bondhu's Lead Psychologist Kazi Rumana Haque and Psychosocial Counsellor Iqbal Hussain conducted activities and workshops on issues like confidence building, problem solving, how to manage stress and so on. Innovation Manager of Moner Bondhu Asha Zahid gave advice on topics like participation of youth in social and voluntary work, how mentorship and networking can help in professional life, among other things.

The youth who registered to attend the event learned about the importance of tackling mental health issues and how it will help them act as a Next-Moner Bondhu representative. After the event, participants were gifted trees, as trees are the most environmentally friendly element of nature.

Photo: Moner Bondhu

Events like these can act as the right getaway for the youth, and everyone else who want to take care of their mental health. As everyone is suffering from various problems, be it stress or any other mental challenge, it's now more important than ever to take help from platforms like Moner Bondhu, where they can share their concerns, vulnerability, and how tackling all these challenges can help them build confidence and resilience that will inevitably increase their overall wellbeing.