Mental Health for Youth Initiative

04/09/2025

At Mental Health for Youths Initiative (MHYI), we believe that mental health goes beyond the mind, it’s also about the environment we live in.

That’s why we launched the Clean Camp Heroes Project for IDP camps in Abuja.

Because in the camps, waste doesn’t just pile up, it affects health, dignity, and peace of mind.

A clean environment means fewer diseases.

A clean environment restores dignity.

A clean environment improves mental well-being.

Through this project, we’re empowering young people in IDP camps to become Clean Camp Heroes, champions of hygiene, health, and hope.

This isn’t just about sweeping the camps; it’s about sweeping away stigma, trauma, and neglect. It’s about proving that mental health begins with the spaces we call home.

This project is funded by the EU through the Youth Empowerment Fund.

You can be part of this movement too:
✅ Partner with us
✅ Support the project
✅ Share our promotional content

Together, let’s give our brothers and sisters in IDP camps the clean, safe, and hopeful environment they deserve.

03/09/2025

Today we celebrate one of our own – Igwe.

Wishing you joy, peace, and endless reasons to smile. May this new year bring you growth, fulfillment, and beautiful memories.

Happy Birthday, from all of us at Mental Health for Youth Initiative!

03/09/2025

How Hormones Affect Women’s Mental Health

When we talk about mental health, many people forget that hormones play a big role in how women feel, think, and respond emotionally. Hormones are chemical messengers in the body, and when they rise or fall, the brain feels it too.

Key Hormones That Influence Women's Mood:

🔹Estrogen: supports brain chemicals like serotonin, helping stabilize mood and emotions.

🔹Progesterone: has a calming effect but may cause fatigue or sadness when it drops.

🔹Cortisol: the “stress hormone,” too much of it can increase anxiety and burnout.

🔹Serotonin: the “happy chemical,” influenced by hormonal shifts.

When Hormones Trigger Mental Health Changes:-

Many women notice mood swings, anxiety, or low energy during:

🔺PMS (premenstrual syndrome)

🔺Pregnancy and postpartum periods

🔺Menopause

These changes aren’t “just in the mind:" they are deeply connected to hormonal balance.

Taking Care of Your Mental Health:

📌 Track your cycle and notice how your mood shifts.
📌 Stay active and eat balanced meals.
📌Prioritize rest and stress management.
📌 Don’t hesitate to talk to a health professional when emotions feel overwhelming.

Understanding hormones isn’t just about biology: It’s about giving women the tools to care for both body and mind.

Dear Women, your mental health is valid. Take it seriously.

02/09/2025

Do you know that poor waste management is not just about “dirty surroundings?

It means:
🚫Diseases that spread faster in already vulnerable communities.

🚫 Trauma from living daily in unhygienic spaces.

🚫 And the slow erosion of dignity when waste becomes part of life instead of being managed.

This is why the Clean Camp Heroes Project was birthed and being funded by the European Union through the Youth Empowerment Fund, to bring a fresh, urgent solution to waste management in IDP camps.

This means that waste isn’t just being “dumped," it’s being addressed with purpose, with people, and with dignity in mind.

Because waste is not just an environmental issue. It’s a health issue. A mental wellness issue. A human dignity issue.

Through Clean Camp Heroes, we’re proving that young people can step in, innovate, and restore dignity in places where it’s needed most, especially in IDP Camps.

Clean camp - Clean minds.

Join us to make the Clean Camp Heroes Project a success by partnering with us.

02/09/2025

Celebrating Igwebuike Racheal Chiamaka today, thank you for all you bring to MHYI. Wishing you a year of peace, purpose, and wellbeing.

Belated Happy Birthday, dear Rachael. We love you.

01/09/2025

Hello September!

A new month is a new chance to prioritize your mental health.

Remember: growth begins with a healthy mind.

Let’s make September a month of healing, resilience, and positive change!


❤️

30/08/2025

Stay Hydrated, Stay Sharp!

Good hydration isn’t just about physical health, it’s a simple but powerful way to boost your mental wellbeing.

For young people balancing school, work, and personal growth, staying hydrated can make a real difference in how sharp, focused, and calm you feel each day.

Here are 5 practical ways to care for your mind & body:

🔹 Start your day with a glass of water → wake up your brain
🔹 Carry a water bottle to class/work → stay sharp
🔹 Swap soda for water → reduce anxiety spikes from sugar
🔹Eat fruits like watermelon & oranges → natural hydration for a happy mood.
🔹 Again, drink enough water!

Sometimes, the simplest habits are the most effective for mental health.

📌 Stay hydrated. Stay sharp. Stay mentally healthy.

30/08/2025

28/08/2025

Still some photo highlights during the National Policy Dialogue held in Abuja.

The Executive Director - Mental Health for Youths Initiative (MHYI) - Lucy Abeng, alongside some high-level Stakeholders at the event:

First slide: Participants at the event.

Second slide: The Panelists at the event - Executive Director - MHYI being the first from the left.

Third Slide - Dr Joseph Ike,
DG, Kaduna State Bureau For Substance Abuse And Treatment
and Alh Abubakar Hassan - DG, Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authorities.

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Fourth skidet - Dr Roselyn Ode
Project Director, SFH A360

Mr Despan Kwardem
Deputy Director, Head of youth education and training division Federal ministry of youth devp

Rt Hon Amos Magaji Gwamna
Chairman, House committee on healthcare services
House of Representatives

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Last slide - Dr Aisha Sadiq -
Permanent secretary, Kaduna State Ministry of Health.

28/08/2025

On Monday, our Executive Director at Mental Health for Youths Initiative (MHYI), Lucy Abeng, had the honor of serving as a Panelist at the National Policy Dialogue in Abuja, themed “The Future of Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health and Development in Nigeria.”

As a mental health advocate, she emphasized three key points:

🔹 Proper implementation of the Mental Health Act – Mental health is deeply connected to sexual and reproductive health. Incorporating mental health into youth programs is crucial because it is a core part of young people’s overall well-being.

🔹 Effective rollout of the Yo! -Health plan – Communities should directly benefit from the strategies and policies designed for them.

🔹 Building trust with young people – Many youths are discouraged by promises without results. Consistent implementation and transparent distribution of resources will restore trust and increase participation of young people.

At MHYI, we continue to stress that mental well-being and sexual reproductive health go hand in hand.

Stable mental health empowers young people to make informed choices, resist negative pressures, and communicate boundaries clearly.

Poor mental health (low self-esteem, depression, anxiety) can expose them to risky behaviors, unhealthy relationships, or silence in cases of abuse and consent.

Good mental health fosters positive self-image and confidence, enabling young people to access reproductive health services without fear or stigma.

Supporting youth mental health is not optional, it is key to securing their sexual reproductive health, relationships, and future.

28/08/2025

Why Waste Management in IDP Camps is Urgent

Across Nigeria, thousands of people live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. These camps are meant to provide safety and shelter, but one issue often overlooked is waste management.

When waste piles up in IDP camps, it doesn’t just look bad, it becomes a serious public health threat. Poorly managed waste leads to:

🔺 Outbreaks of diseases like cholera, diarrhea, and malaria.

🔺 Unsafe living conditions for already vulnerable people.

🔺 Environmental hazards that affect both the camps and surrounding communities.

Yet, despite how urgent and life-saving proper waste management is, very few projects have attempted to tackle this issue in IDP camps.

That’s why the Clean Camp Heroes Project is unique. It is not “just another clean-up.” It is a youth-led initiative funded by the EU Youth Empowerment Fund, through the Global Youth Mobilization, specifically designed to bring waste management solutions to IDP camps in Abuja.

This project is breaking new ground by:

🔹 Prioritizing the health and dignity of displaced persons.

🔹 Mobilizing youths as heroes for sanitation and safe living.

🔹 Creating sustainable systems of waste collection and awareness in camps.

Young people are stepping in to solve a problem that has been ignored for too long. Waste management in IDP camps is not optional, it is urgent, it is humanitarian, and it is about giving people in IDP Camps a chance to live healthily while protecting their mental health.

Together, we can transform Abuja IDP camps into healthier spaces. The Clean Camp Heroes Project is just the beginning.

Join us by championing this urgent move of waste management in Abuja IDP Camps today!

27/08/2025

Here is our Mental Health Quote of the day.

Dear Youth, sometimes, our minds can be our biggest critics. But remember: hope is always present, even when it feels hidden.

No matter what you’re going through today, hold on, things can get better.

Cheers to your peace.