The following article appeared on BasicNeeds Uk website

In the three months since the Gede Foundation joined the BasicNeeds ‘family’ as a social franchisee they have made great progress, meeting and inspiring many local stakeholders including the Nigerian Minister of Health!

In Mpape and Mararaba, the two communities in which Gede is piloting the implementation of the BasicNeeds Model, highly successful introduction meeting with the local Chiefs have taken place, and ten passionate community-based volunteers recruited and trained. Consultation meetings have also been held – in order to listen to, and understand the experiences, needs and aspirations of people living with mental illness and epilepsy, ensuring the project design and implementation is built on, and led by the voice of affected people.

The initiative has also been endorsed and supported by many local stakeholders; churches, mosques and self-help groups have all made announcements to their members to raise awareness of the project. Most notably, the Honourable Minister of Health, Professor Isaac F. Adewole has expressed his support for the project, and asked to be informed of further developments, thus opening the door for further conversations with policy and decision makers.

The fantastic support from the community indicates that the Gede Foundation is likely to make a significant contribution to the lives of many people living with mental illness in Nigeria.