INDIA: Prafulta Center for Psychological Wellbeing provides critical mental health services for women, youth and those in need
Work includes prevention, education initiatives
INDIA
(MissionNewswire) The Prafulta Center for Psychological Wellbeing, located in the Andheri district of Mumbai, India, is one of the country’s most significant Salesian initiatives in the field of mental health. Founded in 1998 by Father Godfrey D’Sa, a compassionate educator and professional counselor, the center was established with the aim of making psychological support services accessible, particularly to youth and those with limited resources.
For almost 30 years, the center has offered support to hundreds of thousands of people through psychological and psychiatric counseling, occupational therapy, personalized educational programs, psychometric testing, and career guidance.
Its work goes beyond individual care, encompassing wide-ranging prevention and education initiatives. Every year, the center organizes more than 800 workshops and more than a dozen educational programs for mental health professionals and other stakeholders. These activities reach around 50,000 people, including youth, parents, teachers and other professionals.
One of the major achievements of the center is addressing neglected topics and those that might be considered taboo. In slums and low-income communities, the center runs outreach initiatives that enable youth, women and families to talk about their difficulties, build their self-esteem, and find the tools to cope with situations of pain, anxiety, insecurity or exclusion.
In the Subhash Nagar Basti Project, the center’s counselors organize weekly group sessions for women and youth. These are safe spaces where participants can express themselves freely, build their resilience, and improve their personal and family relationships.
A Salesian noted, “Through art, play, movement, and dialogue, psycho-educational topics related to mental health and child development are also addressed. Where necessary, this support is supplemented by individual counseling.”
The Macramé pe Charcha project combines therapy and craftwork. Every week, a psychotherapist who is an expert in macramé works with women from vulnerable communities as they work with their hands and discuss self-esteem, relationships, parenting, and self-care. The sale of the products they make provides a small income. More importantly, it becomes an opportunity to regain confidence, independence and dignity.
The Salesian added, “The center’s activities also reached rural communities with limited access to specialist services. In the village of Aghai, located about 90 kilometers from Mumbai, the center runs a weekly clinic in collaboration with The Banyan organization, based in Chennai. There, around 50 people regularly receive free psychiatric consultations, psychological support and basic medication.”
This project has made it possible to bring qualified care to an area with very few mental health resources. The support provided by social workers ensures continuity, support for staff, and education to reduce the stigma that afflicts many people with psychological or psychiatric problems.
In addition to these activities, the center promotes other initiatives such as an annual fair for children and families from the slums. Additional programs include the Saathi Program, which supports young people leaving the Dominic Savio orphanage as they transition into adulthood, and the Scuole Sorridenti Project, which promotes resilience, self-awareness and emotional skills in state schools.
The Salesian concluded, “In India, the center keeps alive the Salesian commitment to being close to those most in need. Its work demonstrates that mental health is also a matter of dignity, inclusion and hope for the poorest and most vulnerable people.”
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Photo source: Misiones Salesianas
Salesian Missions – India
World Bank – India
