Infers Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Abraham Mamela, says they have embarked on a journey to address issues of mental health through ‘Heartstrings & Heartbeats campaign which will explore mental issues among creative people.
Infers is a knowledge management company that utilises public, private and civic partnerships to catalyse inclusive growth, rapid diversification and export orientation, to achieve African human resources based economies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the media briefing last Friday, Mamela said they started the project to engage the community in finding solutions to issues of mental health.
“We decided to start off this campaign because mental health issues are pertinent of late. We have engaged other stakeholders such as University of Botswana (UB), Dialogue Group, All Things Musical, Industry Media and other several partners who offer different aspects or contribution to push this particular project,” he said.
Mamela further said for one to really function well in his or her life, they have to be mentally fit. “In the so called knowledge based economy, we are expecting people to use their intellects, that means the intellects sits in the minds and that is the point where you have to be really healthy for you to be productive,” said Mamela.
In another engagement at the media event, Dialogue Group CEO Tonderai Tsara said they have been working with Infers Group on this project for almost a year now. “We got into a marriage together because we both have a passion for the knowledge economy to create new things. However, in this instance we have combined social issues, health issues and the musical aspect to create awareness about mental health. There was collaboration between local artists Solly Sebotso, Mpho Sebina, Zuziwe Mavuma and scores of other artists from Denmark who created a fusion of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and four strings guitar tunes whose messages echoed mental health issues and the challenges artists go through, and some optimism as we look towards the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, the first phase of the project is meant to foster cultural relations between Danish and Batswana music artists as well as trigger dialogue on issues of mental health among creative people.
And the second phase of the project will bring together stakeholders to co-create solutions that utilise action research to explore mental health among creative people.
