There is a disturbing viral video of a former award-winning national tennis champion, Tanya Okpala, a bi-racial Nigerian lady (Ukrainian mother), with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Tanya was seen wandering the streets of Awka, Anambra State. In the video, she narrates her sad experience of being laughed at, called many names such as prostitute, drug user and mad woman, and so on. She also mentioned some people trying to attack her with their motorbikes and sustaining some injuries as a result. Thankfully, she is now receiving adequate attention from the Anambra State Government, as well as the Sports Ministry and the Nigerian Tennis Federation.
In reality, mental health challenges are no respecter of education, tribe, colour or creed and there are a good number of “Tanya Okpalas” on the streets who do not have the pedigree to garner attention from the government. This is sad, and I had first written about this in my column of December 20, 2018, which was titled “Homeless ‘mad men’ and the Nigerian society: Who is truly unwell?” Excerpts from the article are reproduced below:
“Across the country, in almost every state, citizens are abandoned to roam the streets on account of mental illness. Some states periodically pick them off the streets for rehabilitation, but these are usually not very well thought through and comprehensive in approach. They are usually ad-hoc and short-term with no sustained follow-up and rehabilitation program for the long haul. Thus, such efforts are doomed to failure and are forgotten within a few years – if they last that long. This trend is worrisome, and we must do much better.
The approach should be in three phases. Phase One should involve pick up and assessment in a health facility where they can receive comprehensive medical as well as mental health assessment. Phase Two should include a period of appropriate in-patient care to adequately tackle identified physical or mental health problems. And lastly, Phase Three should involve long term rehabilitation and on-going support to assist them in establishing productive lives.”
I want to lend my voice to encouraging the Anambra State Government to ensure that a comprehensive rehabilitation plan as well as long term treatment modalities are implemented to ensure that she not only recovers but continues to stay well.
The situation of homeless mentally ill persons (present to varying degrees all over the world) is often a reflection of the extent to which our society cares for her most vulnerable citizens. It is simply a lack of responsiveness from all stakeholders in society, that citizens roam the streets because they suffer from mental illness; especially when effective treatment is available and affordable.
Project Hope of Asido Foundation
It is gratifying that the Asido Foundation (www.asidofoundation.com) commenced a pilot project, termed Project Hope that aims to faithfully implement the three phases as a model demonstration project that these objectives can be achieved. Since 2022 till date, a total of 18 persons have been successfully picked off the streets of Ibadan and taken to government hospitals for treatment and subsequent rehabilitation. It is partnering with the Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, the Ministry of Health and other relevant Stakeholders for this cause. We hope this will kickstart other efforts and coalesce to ensure that we restore hope to these people and their families across the length and breadth of the country.
We need all stakeholders to support Project Hope of the Asido Foundation, and every state government across the country to rise up to the occasion and do the needful in their respective domains. The days of simply looking away from the problem and wishing it away are long gone. Now is the time for evidence-based action. Are we ready, or are we going to demonstrate that we are the truly sick ones as a society that simply does not care about our vulnerable citizens? Time will tell.
Post-script: There is also a story making the social media rounds, attributed to her sister, Katya, which provides more insight and hints at the challenges over the years. I would like to encourage Katya to please get in touch and we could provide her with a platform on the Asido Foundation (www.asidofoundation) to talk about her experiences as a caregiver and the numerous challenges they have had to overcome. The simple reason is to educate the larger public about the harmful consequences of the pervasive ignorance, stereotypes and discriminatory behaviour which makes it more tedious for them to get the help they need. It will also provide a private glimpse into the huge care-giving burden for families of affected persons, and why they need a lot of support and empathy themselves.