‘You grow through what you go through’

CHENNAI: Being born in an imperious world, the story of Aksheyaa Akilan, a 26-year-old human rights advocate and a mental health exponent, is about the emotional odyssey experienced by a teenage girl.

“Born a female child in a patriarchal world, I grew up everyday facing casual sexism and misogyny. Discovering I was Dyslexic and Dyscalculia when I was 12, I struggled with clinical depression as a teenager,” states Aksheyaa, who was recently diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The gap in the system of health and education was evident even with the privileges Aksheyaa was brought up with. With a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Bachelor of Legislative Law, and A Master’s degree in Human Rights and Duties Education, she is a passionate healthcare and human rights advocate, who constantly endeavours to provide sustainable education and employment.

“I always wanted to make an impact on a global level. This impelled me to intern with the UN High Commissioners Office for Human Rights (OHCHR)’s Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health (WHO GCM/NCD). I have also interned at the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (TNSHRC),” highlights the therapist.

Being Neurodivergent, and with her fair share of mental illnesses in her life, Aksheyaa understood that the world is not designed to fit everyone who is different. Especially someone with a learning disability.

“With a determined dream, I returned to India and founded Hibiscus Foundation for Social Welfare (HFSW) in 2020, a not-for-profit organisation registered under the Government of India. Our primary focus has been to work on mental health advocacy and awareness. We strive to remove the stigma that has shrouded the conversation around mental health and break the stereotypes around it. We also advocate for gender equality, women empowerment, healthy lifestyle, spreading human rights awareness and working on sustainable living initiatives,” she explains.

On November 27, WHO SCO Commission Secretariat reviewed and accepted Hibiscus Foundation as a participant of the Commission. By being part of this, HFSW will be voicing out concerns, thoughts and recommendations in global meetings which will be taken into account by WHO.

“We will also have a possibility to propose or join working groups which are set up for the purpose of sharing information and collectively working on specific issues that align with the WHO Civil Society Commission’s overall mission and objectives,” Aksheyaa explains.

“We have been part of several consultations hosted by the UN agencies and other international, national and regional organisations. In the last year, we have been hosting our own youth consultations, one of it being the Tamil Nadu Youth Summit 2022 on Sustainable Development Goals. Hence, we felt it’s important for us to be part of this process to take forward the voices of the youth and other NGOs we have consulted with,” she further adds.

From humble beginnings, the Foundation slowly grew up to a team of 70 volunteers making an impact on 2,00,000 people digitally and 30,000 individuals directly.

With a commitment to make things safe, accessible and affordable to all, the projects of the foundation are made Pro-bono which includes pro bono therapy, pro bono human rights consultancy, free guided imagery and awareness creation workshops on diverse elements that impact health and rights. Through its goals and operations, HFSW constantly reiterates the importance of providing accessible mental health for everyone.

“Through our Mental Health Project, we work to promote systemic awareness, support the use of effective mental health practices, raise awareness on when to seek help, shatter myths and stigmas associated with mental health, and reduce illnesses,” elucidates Aksheyaa.

“We collaborated with over 40 organisations and institutions, conducting a Mental Health Awareness workshop, which addressed the need and importance of coping with difficult situations. Guided Imagery Sessions is a sub project introduced by us to help end the week and start the weekend with weekly therapy sessions to destress and refresh. Guided Imagery is a part of integrative therapies; a process that uses our active imagination, phrases and verbal cues to evoke a sense of relaxation, encouraging the mind, body and the spirit to heal,” adds the therapist. Currently, the HFSW is working on developing the platform online.

“We have started a national mental health network which, at present, has over 600 mental health professionals, entrepreneurs and aspirants. The idea is to work on creating a network to form a community of therapists. The platform will be a one-stop solution for all their needs,” Aksheyaa adds.