Suraj Bansal Email and Phone Number

The FYLP is a programme aimed at promoting feminist youth leadership for governance and collective action in India. it is a collaborative effort between Gender at work india and UN Women India, with goal of strengthening institutional capacities of youth and advancing Feminist Youth leadership intergovernmental Processes.

I joined BUDS and began working at the Pace Centre. Over the past few months, my work has primarily focused on community visits, mobilization efforts, and initiating conversations on mental health. From the outset, I aimed to understand the challenges faced by the local community, with particular attention to mental health issues. During my visits to the community, I observed their environment and engaged with children and families, which allowed me to identify a variety of social and psychological concerns.One of my main tasks during this period was mobilizing children and youth from the community to participate in activities at the Pace Centre. This process involved spending time with them, building trust, and encouraging them to engage in discussions around mental health. Through these conversations, I discovered that many children were grappling with emotional distress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. These insights shaped my work at the centre.Recognizing the gravity of the mental health issues prevalent in the community, I decided to conduct introductory sessions aimed at increasing awareness about mental health. The sessions were designed to introduce basic concepts, provide information about symptoms, and start conversations around the stigmatized nature of mental health problems. These efforts were intended to create a more open and supportive environment for children and their families to discuss these issues.Through my interactions with the community, I observed that the lack of mental health resources and support was a significant challenge. Many of the issues stemmed from broader socio-economic factors, including financial stress and familial instability. Additionally, there was a strong stigma surrounding mental health, which prevented people from openly discussing their struggles or seeking professional help. This created a barrier to addressing the root causes of many problems that the children and families were facing.

The Youth Advocacy for Suicide Prevention Fellowship, conducted by the Center for Mental Health Law and Policy over 12 months, held a dual objective: to heighten community awareness regarding mental health and suicide issues while also advocating for policy change. Our task encompassed educating policymakers about existing laws pertaining to mental health and suicide prevention, urging their implementation within our communities.Recognizing a pressing issue within my own community, I noticed a distressing absence of mental health counselors. Tragically, this void had led to 11 youth suicides within the span of a year. Motivated to initiate change, I took action by submitting an application to the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). Following this, within a short period, our community welcomed the arrival of a much-needed mental health counselor named Kausoler.This intervention exemplifies the practical application of the fellowship's principles. It's a testament to the power of grassroots advocacy and the vital role of local policy implementation in addressing pressing community needs. By identifying and addressing the gap in mental health services, this initiative aimed not only to prevent tragedies but also to establish a tangible solution through policy advocacy and implementation.The fellowship's broader scope included community outreach efforts to increase awareness and understanding of mental health challenges. Additionally, it served as a platform to engage policymakers, highlighting the importance of enacting and enforcing laws that support mental health services. This experience underscored the critical need for proactive measures and collaborative efforts between communities and authorities to safeguard the mental well-being of our youth.