CALMHAF Foundation advocates engagements to tackle men-related societal, family challenges
The Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation (CALMHAF) has advocated regular engagements to discuss and tackle men-related societal and family challenges affecting their physical and mental health.
The Founder of CALMHAF Foundation, Rev. Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu, made the call in Enugu during a Men’s Safe Space Forum; themed: “Starting the Conversation That Saved Lives in Enugu”.
Nwachukwu said that the forum brought together men from different professions and backgrounds speak openly about their lives for the very first time in an environment devoid of judgment and the pressure to perform.
He said that the participants at the forum discussed openly on issues that silently crush men, which included: the unrelenting pressure of the provider and protector roles and financial struggles.
Nwachukwu, who is also a trained mental health practitioner, noted that the participants discussed sexual health challenges, family relationships, decision-making under stress, conflict resolution, and the toll all these take on mental and emotional well-being.
“Every participant received a free mental health screening using questionnaires, giving many their first objective glimpse into anxiety and depression they had been carrying alone.
“The forum (gathering) was also a sacred ground. No lectures, no shaming, no “man-up” clichés. Just men listening to men.
“Some fathers (participants) admitted the terror of not being able to pay school fees. Husbands (participants) confessed years of silence that had turned into resentment at home.
“Men spoke of erectile difficulties and the secret fear that they were “no longer men. Others opened up about things they had never shared, not even with their wives.
“As each story was met with nods of recognition and shared experience instead of judgment, something visible shifted in the moods/emotions of the participants,” he said.
Nwachukwu said that participants, who are community leaders, pledged planning smaller men safe-space gatherings in churches, workplaces and neighbourhoods to build peace and reduce all forms of violence at home.
“WhatsApp groups were created for ongoing support, and monthly men’s conversations are already being scheduled for continued support,” he said.
Speaking, the Founder Lead Network Africa, an NGO, Mr Chukwuma Okenwa, who commended CALMHAF foundation for organising the forum, said that the participants felt “truly understood as men.”
“Today, bottled emotions were released, stress levels plummeted, and dangerous coping mechanisms were replaced with practical pathways forward.
“The participants (husbands) pledged to start talking honestly with their wives instead of withdrawing or exploding.
“They vowed to model positive emotional honesty and culture to their sons, breaking generations of toxic silence and unnecessary aggressiveness,” Okenwa said.
Corroborating, a Urologist, Prof Anselm Obi, urged men to take care of their health, do regular physical exercise, medical check-up and visit medical facilities anytime they are sick.
Obi, who is also the Chief Medical Director of Alpha Specialist Hospital, Enugu, urged men with sexual health concerns to consult specialist doctors instead of buying untested herbal mixtures from the roadside.
Responding, one of the participants, Mr Emeka Nwoke, an entrepreneur, said: “I walked in here convinced I was the only man failing at home.
“Hearing every single person open up about similar struggles showed me these challenges are part of being a man in today’s world. For the first time in years, I left feeling normal instead of broken.”
Another participant, Mr Ifeanyi Madu, a civil servant, said: “Stress is unavoidable, but most of it is self-inflicted. We kill ourselves trying to keep up with people who do not even notice us.
“From today, I have learnt to live within my income, stop unnecessary competition, and guard my peace – that alone has lifted a huge burden off my chest.”
Those that attended the forum included: entrepreneurs, civil servants, fathers, retired soldiers, clergy and community leaders among other professionals.
