Healing Minds, Changing Lives

Samata program to strengthen community mental health support

Healing Minds, Changing Lives

Samata program to strengthen community mental health support

NGO

Vidya Vardhini Foundation Trust

Cause

Mental Health

Supported by

BCPT Corpus Fund

Why This Matters

Mental health is crucial to well-being, yet it is often overlooked in marginalized communities due to systemic barriers, limited resources, and cultural stigma. These communities face socioeconomic stress, discrimination, and trauma, but mental health support is often unavailable. As a result, many struggles go unrecognized or untreated, and individuals avoid seeking help due to fear of judgment or mistrust in the system. This creates a cycle of silence, worsening the impact on their quality of life. Addressing these issues requires accessible, culturally sensitive services and efforts to break the sti.gma around mental health in underserved populations.
The intervention focused on making mental health treatment more affordable and accessible, particularly for marginalized communities, breaking down barriers to care. Beyond treatment, it fostered an inclusive environment where individuals with mental illness could lead lives of dignity and purpose. Financial support from BCPT enabled the clinic to provide subsidized medications, ensuring regular access to medication and counselling. This helped clients manage mental health challenges, with some reducing medication for mild conditions like migraines and anxiety. For those with severe conditions such as schizophrenia, the intervention also empowered families with knowledge, creating a supportive environment for treatment and rehabilitation.

Our Intervention

The Difference We’ve Made

The intervention has sparked profound change, with nearly 80% of individuals showing improved coping skills, self-care, relationships, and confidence in daily life. Subsidized medication reduced treatment dropouts by 90%, ensuring consistent care for over 50 clients across all demographics. This initiative has not only transformed lives but also shifted p.erceptions of mental health, promoting early intervention and recognizing its equal importance to physical health. School outreach programs raised awareness on issues like bullying and internet addiction, while collaborations led to a Substance Abuse Prevention Forum. Encouragingly, more women are now seeking mental health support, breaking longstanding barriers.

About the Organisation

Vidya Vardhini Foundation Trust (VVF) focuses mainly on health and educational needs of children with disabilities and marginalized women living in the urban slums of Mumbai.An NGO fou.nded in 2001 to cater to the needs of street children near Worli Sea Face slowly shifted its activities to the slums of Cheetah Camp in Trombay in 2007.

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If you have any further queries

ELIGIBITY FOR OUR GRANTS

  1. Geographic Focus: We focus on organizations serving the Mumbai area. 
  2. Scale of the Non-profit: We prioritize supporting smaller and mid-level, up-and-coming non-profits. 
  3. Community Focus: The project or program funded must benefit the 
local community. 
  4. Clear Mission and Impact: The organization must have a clear mission and demonstrate how the project will meet community needs with measurable outcomes. 
  5. Funding Approach: We prioritise funding to projects that are underrepresented and not heavily funded by larger organizations. 
  6. Regulatory Compliance: NGOs must have valid regulatory documents, ensuring adherence to legal, financial, and regulatory requirements. 
  7. Capacity Building Participation: NGOs that are part of the cohort of BCPT’s Capacity Building workshops are given priority.