By Patrick Ochei
As the world marks World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, 2022, a group under the aegis of Africa Project Against Suicide (APAS) in conjunction with DICI Development Initiative for Community Impact, South-South, Nigeria, has initiated critical plans to create survival hope amongst the youths and students in the Warri axis of Delta State.
The event which is billed to hold at the DICI Resource Centre, Marian Plaza, Airport Road, Warri, has its theme as “Creating Hope Through Action” and the audience will be populated by participants drawn from mostly the secondary and tertiary eduction students’ communities.
According to one of the facilitators of the Project and Secretary of APAS, Dr. Otega Okinono, “In marking the World’s Suicide Prevention Day on the 10th of September this year, we have decided to put together a programme that addresses the major challenges people face to make them want to commit suicide, and that is hopelessness. And so taking a bearing from the theme of this year’s celebration, we have decided to take critical steps in creating hope for the people through action.
“So, the essence of this programme in marking the Suicide Prevention Day is, to educate and enlighten students and peer groups on the current reality of the alarming rate and prevalence of suicide; the causes and prevention”, posited Okinono.
Meanwhile, a number of resource persons had been lined up to add value that will mainstream a way forward of hope and solution to some of the key indicators of suicide. Dr. A.L. Pemu who is the Delta State Coordinator of APAS and Host will be making presentations alongside Dr. Otega Okinono as APAS Secretary, Eza Teshoma (Mental Health Advocate) and of course, Ms. Emira Edjemre (CEO, Well of Wisdom); and these mindset reengineering lessons are expected to strengthen the depressed and weak in hope by stemming a desire to fight off suicide tendencies.
