Imagine a place where you can shed yourself off and pour your heart out without any fear of being judged.

Someone to whom you can tell even the darkest thoughts that torment you till dawn. To whom you may talk as the last resort when you feel like quitting the journey of life.

As one such place for people in Bangladesh a non-profit organisation Kaan Pete Roi emerged four years ago as emotional support and suicide prevention helpline and is already helping thousands in distress. So far, they have given support to more than 15,000 callers and the founder of Kaan Pete Roi, Yeshim Iqbal, deems it to be the organisation’s greatest achievement.

The Story Behind Its Inception

When asked what her inspiration behind this initiative was, Yeshim replied, “I studied psychology at Cornell University, graduating in 2009. After that, from 2009-2012, I worked as a Research Coordinator at the Harvard Lab for Developmental Studies, during which time I also volunteered at the Boston Samaritans, a part of the Befrienders Worldwide Network. Basically, helplines where anyone who needs immediate emotional support can call in. This sort of helpline exists in 40 countries already, and is established as a model for suicide prevention. After having worked there, I realized that such a service would be of great use in Bangladesh, where suicide is a problem and there are no easily accessible mental health services available.”

And to prove her right Kaan Pete Roi has really turned out to be a great venture as the first of its kind here.

The Callers

Now, trained volunteers of Kaan Pete Roi are helping people to cope up with all sorts of emotional, mental and psychological issues.

People of all ages with various sorts of problems ranging from casual not so feeling well to being on the verge of suicide call them and ask for help, Rubina Jahan Rumi, Head of Training and Research of KPR, told The Daily Star.

“Despite lack of public outreach and awareness about Kaan Pete Roi, many people call us being on the verge of suicide. However, the majority of callers are with problems like depression, anxiety disorder, OCD, addiction, loneliness, frustration and related issues”, she added.

Befriending Process

KPR’s volunteers are working seven days a week throughout the year, ready to lend their ears to your woes in life. You can call as many times as you like and can remain completely anonymous. They are listening to the depressed, the dejected and the anxious to be of any help through emotional support, thoughts and guidance. What is most important is that they are saving lives through helping people getting out of the crippling thoughts of committing suicide.

At this stage, the volunteers are working limited hours - 3:00pm to 9:00pm everyday and 3:00pm to 3:00am on Thursdays.

The Future

When asked about her future goals with Kaan Pete Roi, Yeshim replied, “I would like for KPR to become 24/7. In addition, I look forward to seeing KPR become a much bigger organization focused on research and outreach for issues surrounding mental health and other social issues that Bangladeshis face.”

How Important It Really Is

One can’t but say that being in a country where mental health is often ignored under the pressure of daily life struggles such organizations offering unconditional support for our mental solace was a crying need of the time.

Yeshim Iqbal also told The Daily Star about how emotional she is about KPR, “I am very proud that we have been able to help almost 1,500 callers. The fact that people trust us enough to share their pain with us means a lot to me. I am tremendously proud of our volunteers, who are dedicated, hard-working, and compassionate. They are a wonderful group of individuals and I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the world.”

The Daily Star wishes KPR the brightest future ahead and hope it keeps growing to be able to support more people in need!

DO NOT forget to give them a knock if ever life starts feeling like a burden. They can help you remind what a gift it is!

Contacts and Helplines

Here are the channels through which you may contact Kaan Pete Roi for any kind of emotional and psychological support:

Helpline number:

GP: 01779554391 01779554392 Airtel: 01688709965 01688709966 Banglalink: 01985275286 Robi: 01852035634

Website: https://shuni.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaan.pete.roi/

Email: info@shuni.org