"Yopougon, the largest of Abidjan's 13 communes, with a population of 1.5 million, is known for its entrepreneurial grit, its bubbly nightlife and, in pop culture, as being the birthplace of Francophone Africa's most popular comic character, Aya de Yopougon. Beneath the bustle, it is also home to another taboo-busting pioneer: 49-year-old Adjoua Catherine Tano, a hairdresser who has spent two decades offering mental health advice, or just listening quietly as she cuts her clients' hair."
"Mental health remains a taboo subject in most parts of Africa, even though according to the World Health Organization more than 116 million people have mental health problems on the continent. Therapy is in critically short supply, with 1.4 mental health workers for every 100,000 people. Across Black communities, hairdressers have become a safe space, especially in communities with little or no access to mental health care or quality healthcare in general."
Yopougon, a densely populated commune of Abidjan, combines entrepreneurial energy and nightlife with grassroots mental health support delivered by community figures. Adjoua Catherine Tano, a 49-year-old hairdresser, has spent two decades offering advice and listening to clients, helping people manage anxiety and exam worries. Mental health is widely taboo across Africa, with the World Health Organization estimating over 116 million people affected and only 1.4 mental health workers per 100,000 people. Hairdressers often serve as accessible support points. The Bluemind Foundation’s Heal by Hair initiative has trained hundreds of hairdressers to act as mental health ambassadors, reaching many women.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]