Launch of the Rural India Supporting Trust endowment for The Banyan’s ‘Home Again’

Hope, Home and Health: Building Inclusive Communities and Futures, an event celebrating impactful collaborations and marking the launch of the Rural India Supporting Trust (RIST) endowment for The Banyan’s Home Again programme, was held in Chennai on Tuesday. 

Shweta Rawat, Managing Director, RIST, said they are planning to take Home Again to the national level. Vandana Gopikumar, Co-Founder, The Banyan, said, “The RIST endowment will benefit 310 people and 60 houses across Tamil Nadu and Kerala through life-long support.” 

The event featured four sessions that saw discussion on the evolution of the Home Again programme, service users sharing stories on how mental health support was made accessible to them through The Banyan, and exploration of mental health in the realm of art and creativity. The final session had discussions on the role of the development sector and future measures. 

In the final session, N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Publishing Group, remarked that there is more to be done with the government in terms of mental health support, and recounted a memory of how NGOs like The Banyan played significant roles when police used to bring vulnerable women, often victims of abuse, from the streets.

Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, said, “We need a new paradigm of care for mental health. We cannot be placing people in age-old institutions and asylums.” She said addressing mental illness as a human rights issue would require courage from not just NGOs but also the government, doctors, and caregivers.

MP Kanimozhi spoke on The Banyan’s journey and how the Home Again programme marks a significant step in their efforts.

Published - November 16, 2024 01:01 am IST