Rotary Club of Akright City, Partners March for Mental Health Awareness
Frank Semata 
The Rotary club of Akright City together with the Academy for Compassionate Training (ACT) organized a mental health awareness march to sensitize the public about mental health and wellbeing.
The march was in light of the world mental health awareness day that is commemorated every 10th of October every year.
While addressing the media before the march, Mbanda Shaka commonly known as the walking Rotarian from the Rotary club of Akright city noted that the march was intended to create awareness about the mental health situation in Uganda and how ACT can come in to help restore victims back to their normal way of life.
"Mental health is very important to the Rotary club of Akright and Rotary International because our president Gordon R. McInally urged all Rotarians around the world to apply their talents and techniques towards ensuring that mental health and peace in their communities is maintained."
He added that, "The mental health situation in Uganda is dier, at least 4-6 out of 10 Ugandans are suffering from mental health issues and the biggest mental health issues we have are anxiety and depression."
"We've organized this march to let it out to the world that we're aware that in Uganda there's a mental health issue that needs talking about, we need to create a narrative around mental health. Our focus will not only be around recovering addicts but also with their families so that they are able to provide the necessary recovery care." Mbanda noted.
The facility (ATC) with support from the Rotary club of Akright will be able to rehabilitate drug and alcohol addicts. People that come from rehabilitation will also be facilitated with mental skills, body skills and employable skills so that they are able to go back into the world with skills that will help them find jobs so that they can work and get busy.
Elizabeth Mpisi the E.D for the a Academy for Companionate Training noted that mental health is a universal concern world over that needs to be addressed head on.
"Mental health is an international concern because in the aftamath of Covid19, member states have been able to come together and collaborate looking at the anxiety, stress and the difficulties that young people face."
On addressing the high mental challenges among youth, Mpisi noted that, "Young people need to socialize in a special way, to do more than just be on their phones day in day out, its that human interaction that makes us who we are."
"ACT is looking at empoweing women that come out of rehab, we will be providing cooking, tailoring, other skills and employable resources."
Queen Tara Abok mentioned that, "Mental health is for everyone, no matter where they are, who they are, they have the right to accessible and avalible mental health care, individual and independent expressibility to protect their mental health against any risks.
