In today’s fast paced world, our mind is overworked and yet undernourished. While physical health tops our priority charts, mental health often takes a backseat.
A year ago a group of young girls, who were a part of the 1000 Girls 1000 Futures Mentorship Program of the New York Academy of Science, were having this virtual conversation. We realized albeit painfully that in spite of the fact that we come from diverse cultures, we were all facing a similar challenge- the stigma surrounding mental health.
We were fueled by a passion to make the world a safer space to talk about mental health. That is how MindChamps was born.
MindChamps is an e-magazine for the youth by youth. It offers youngsters from across the globe to speak up about mental health issues through articles, poems and works of art. Through interviews with experts, our magazine seeks to demystify various symptoms and impacts of the demonic conditions that plague our minds. By highlighting youth led initiatives in the realm of mental health awareness and the positive impact it has on their communities, we seek to inspire more and more youngsters to break the shackles of shame and champion for change.
We launched our first edition in July 2019. Putting together this maiden venture was no cakewalk. We had members from the farthest ends of the globe. We belonged to different time zones, diverse communities and brought contradictory ideas to the table.
However, our team always managed to hold open discussions and offer honest feedback on each other’s work. This helped us overcome the barriers posed by geographical and cultural boundaries.
While launching our first edition, all of us were really nervous. We were so unsure about how this emagazine would be received by readers. Many of us were also afraid how our communities would react to such open discussions about an issue that has been held taboo for so long.
Our team is so grateful toall the mentors of the New York Academy of Science (specially Ms. Nida Rehmani) for their guidance and support. We are also thankful to Ms. Indrani Guha (Principal Credo World School, Dahanu, India) for sprinkling her creativity all over MindChamps and for being so passionate about our cause. It is only because of these wonderful women that we managed to put together our dream initiative.
The first edition of MindChamps was welcomed with open arms. Readers from different spheres of life came out in support of our e-mag. Student communities in different countries were so elated about our youth-centered approach to mental health. Renowned authors such as Mr. Ramendra Kumar, Ms. Chandana Roy and Ms. Lori Goldstein expressed their appreciation for our initiative.
Soon after the launch of our first edition, several members had to quit due to various other commitments and we were soon reduced to a team of just four active members. That is when we began reaching out to other youngsters within our respective communities. With the support of these fantastic individuals, we put together our second edition.
While working on the second edition we realized that a small number of members were doing disproportionate amount of work and that this was not a sustainable working mechanism. So immediately after the launch of our second edition, we set out to give MindChamps an organizational structure. We got on board some fantastic individuals who are passionate about mental health awareness and formed a solid core team. We have now opened applications to the writing, editing, social media, networking and magazine design teams. The number of applications we are receiving on a daily basis is overwhelming!
Currently we are working on bringing out the third edition of MindChamps. Our team is also involved in designing internship programs for high school and university students so that they can channelize their skills efficiently towards mental health activism. We are also looking forward to collaborating with other youth led organizations to launch ‘Safe Spaces’, an initiative aimed at providing individuals struggling with mental health issues a platform to express their emotions within the comfort of a safe and secure virtual community.
As the cofounder of MindChamps my biggest dream is to create a world where mental health is no longer taboo. Through MindChamps, I wish to light a candle of hope and kindle a sense of confidence in today’s youth to speak their minds about their minds.
All Roads Lead to MindChamps
Instagram: @mind.champs @anagha02raj
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