Lekaal, the lokaaal project, has become a global phenomenon with more than 40,000 participants from more than 50 countries.
It aims to raise awareness about mental health issues through a variety of creative and social media channels including videos, photos and audio clips.
The lokaala project has been funded by the National Health Service (NHS), the UK Department for Work and Pensions, and the University of Birmingham.
Lekaal aims to provide information and support for people affected by mental health problems.
“When we were first starting out, we weren’t sure if we could make a difference.
But with your help we can start to change lives,” said Lekaaal’s head of operations, Claire Kelleher.”
We are working towards a world where people feel safe talking about their mental health, to get support, and to take action.”
A survey conducted by the UK National Health Survey found that 1 in 4 people in the UK suffer from mental health difficulties, with nearly half (47 per cent) experiencing severe mental health disorders and 17 per cent experiencing moderate or mild mental health conditions.
Lekaaala aims to engage with people in a variety that is free, open, and free of commercialisation.
“It’s very important that people don’t feel they have to be a specialist, that people feel comfortable talking about mental issues, so that people have confidence in themselves,” said Claire Keltner.
“They can be themselves, they can be confident in their own voices, and they can say that they’re not alone.”
A lokaalam video about mental illness on the internet and how to help them”The likaal video is part of our ongoing engagement with young people around the world,” said co-founder and director of lekaal Laura Smith.
“There is so much to learn from this work and it is a unique and powerful opportunity for people to connect and make a positive difference.”
The lekaala project was inspired by the work of British internet pioneer, Mark Zuckerburg, who coined the term likaala in 1995 to describe a mental health condition that affects around one in 100 people.
“This is the kind of thing that we have been seeing with the internet since the dawn of the internet,” Ms Smith said.
“People who are struggling with mental health have access to this information, we have a platform to be able to discuss our issues, and we have this really powerful platform to speak out about what’s going on.”
As likaas we have the power to create a better future.
“The project is part the UK’s Digital Health Challenge, which is aiming to raise £150,000 to provide free online support for mental health-related issues in schools, businesses and the community.”
The digital world is a place of possibility and creativity, and it’s where we need to be spending more time,” Ms Kelleer said.