Bollywood actor Sanjana Sanghi who made her debut as ‘Kizie Basu’ in ‘Dil Bechara’ has launched a mental health campaign ‘Here to Hear’ that will allow people to access free sessions with psychologists and qualified listeners.
The initiative has been launched in partnership with an online counselling platform. The goal of the initiative is to have more people gain access to quality mental healthcare in these trying times.
Right from the beginning, the pandemic has proven to take a toll on the mental health of people. Scores of people have been affected psychologically and have developed anxiety, fear, and stress. Sanghi mentions that quality mental healthcare in these trying times is the need of the hour.
Sanghi announced the launch of her initiative on Instagram. Through ‘Here to Hear’, anybody who is seeking help can register and book a 30-minute de-stress session anywhere, anytime, absolutely free of charge thereby bridging the gap of inaccessibility and non-affordability of quality mental health care services.
Through Sanghi’s campaign counselling therapies will be provided through audio and text support sessions with psychologists to help people overcome and cope with their problems.
She says that there was never a rule book handed to any of us, on how to cope with a catastrophic pandemic like the one we are presently facing. And in the absence of that rule book, amidst such a grave crisis that is ridden with loss of life and uncertainty, we can easily find ourselves consumed with all kinds of worrying thoughts, fears, anxieties, and confusion.
Sanjana says, “I am so proud to see all of us as citizens stepping up to help in ways big and small and I truly hope our work that has gone behind making ‘Here to Hear’ possible help. De-stigmatising seeking the support of mental health experts, as well as emphasising the importance of doing so to be able to disentangle the many thoughts that may be making this already tough circumstance even tougher is extremely crucial.”
The actor has been active in the field of social empowerment right from her college days. She has worked with many organisations such as Teach For India (TFI), UN-affiliated organisations, AIESEC India, and has been a Project Head with Aarohan, an NGO dedicated to the education of underprivileged children in New Delhi.
Throughout the pandemic, she has dedicated a large part of her time to figure out how virtual education can become an achievable reality and has helped to identify the problems and come up with solutions.
She says, “I could never have foreseen that my own passion for academia and a ceaseless quest for knowledge would translate into one of the most special aspects of my life, which has been in the sphere of educational alleviation for underprivileged children.”
“From as long as I can remember, I’ve been acutely aware of the value education added to my own life, and I would find myself relentlessly telling my parents and teachers that I want to do everything I can when I grow up to make sure every child gets to feel this feeling”, she adds.
