Health
Initiative Pushes Supportive Spaces For Children’s Mental Health
By Angela Atabo
My Child’s Psyche Initiative (MCPI) has called for urgent attention to the emotional and psychological well-being of children, emphasising the need for supportive environments both at home and in schools.
The Founder and Managing Director of MCPI, Chyna Clifford, made the call at the Ultimate Caregiver Enlightenment Symposium and Book Launch on Thursday in Abuja.
Clifford said children carried fears, dreams, anxieties and immense potential, yet their voices often went unheard.
“This initiative began with a simple realisation that every child carries a world within them filled with fears, worries, concerns, wonder, dreams, anxieties and immense potential.
“Yet far too often this inner world goes unheard. Their voices get drowned out by the noise of society; emotions are overlooked and questions go unanswered.
“I came to realise that if we are to raise a generation of emotionally intelligent, morally grounded and socially responsible leaders, we must first understand the intricacies of a child’s mind.
“We must create environments in schools, at home and within our communities where children are encouraged to speak up and express themselves.”
According to her, MCPI’s mission is to promote the holistic development of the child’s psyche by integrating cognitive, emotional, moral and social growth.
She said the initiative believed that aligning supportive environmental factors with reflective learning practices would foster psychological resilience, pro-social behaviour and emotional well-being across all stages of development.
“We envision a Nigeria where every child’s inner world is understood, respected and supported, not only within the classroom but also in homes and in the very fabric of our communities.
“A nation where emotional intelligence is valued as much as academic excellence; where kindness, empathy and self-awareness are cultivated as intentionally as literacy and numeracy,” she said.
Clifford added that through MCPI, the organisation will develop programmes, tools and partnerships that bridge the gap between psychology and parenting, and between learning and living.
She said MCPI also aimed to empower parents with knowledge, equip educators with resources and inspire children to embrace their emotions as strengths, not weaknesses.
“I believe with all my heart that if we heal the psyche of the child, we heal the future of the nation.
“Every healthy society begins with a healthy mind, and every healthy mind begins in childhood.
“I invite all of us, parents, teachers, leaders and citizens, to walk this path together.
“Let us nurture a generation that is not only brilliant but balanced; not only informed but inspired; not only successful but sincerely humane.”
A Neurologist at the National Hospital, Dr Adaobi Okeke, said lack of data, inadequate funding and maternal stress contributed to the rise of autism among children in the country.
Okeke stressed that most neurological research came from outside Nigeria, particularly studies on dementia, and could not be applied directly to the Nigerian population.
“We can’t use results from outside the country for our own population. We need our own research,” she said.
An Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Mariam Tukur-Shagaya, speaking on postpartum depression, emphasised the need for positive support systems to curb depression in women after childbirth.
She said spouses must be present and supportive during the period to ensure the well-being of both mother and child. (NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
