City of Rest, a mental rehabilitation Centre, held its annual fundraising carol service on Friday, December 11, 2020, at their facility in Grafton.
The event was organized to raise funds for the running of the facility, and it brought together family members of inmates at the centre, patients and other dignitaries from different charitable organizations.
The Centre was previously located at Fort Street where it initially operated as an evangelical centre. The institution has been in existence for over 30 years now. City of Rest is a day care mental health organization, which deals with a range of health challenges including psychosis, substance abuse and trauma, experiences of spiritual attacks and generally other mental health issues. It deals with all age-grades, with specific emphasis on youths and adults. At present, it is working on building a coalition on mental health that would serve as a voice for those suffering from mental health and their care givers.
The Director of Programmes at the Centre, James Ngobeh, said that since the centre had been established they had reintegrated many people who had had mental health problems back into society.
He cited that the centre is encountering huge challenges in terms of access to medicine, accommodation and the professional capacity of their staff who he says needs more training on how to deal with mental health patients.
He said crucial among the reason why they are facing a lot of challenges in running the facility is because it is huge and is privately owned, adding that many a time only private individuals support the facility with funds and commodities.
“Considering our impact and role on mental health in Sierra Leone, we deserve support from Government and other humanitarian organization,” Ngobeh insisted.
He however concluded by calling on the government to assist the centre financially, with medicine, ambulances, vehicles and any other support that would facilitate the smooth running of the centre.
By George M.O.Williams
21/12/2020. ISSUE NO: 7969