The visit was also to enable the Team to assess a five-year mental health project the DFID was supporting. Jemima Gordon-Duff is the DFID Team-lead, with members including Luisa Hana, DFID Health Advisor, Susan Adwoa Mensah, Advisor for social and disability/LEAP, and Jessie Kirk, the Social Development and Policy Advisor.

The visit was organised by BasicNeeds Ghana and the Mental Health Authority.The Team first visited the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital in the Ga East District and inspected some of the projects supported by DFID.

The members then visited the Ussher Polyclinic in the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro where they were briefed on the collaborations between DFID and BasicNeeds Ghana.  The Akuma Jay Self-Help Group of people with mental illnesses was the next place of visit, where Joshua Nartey, a member of the Group, explained that members usually organised meetings to discuss issues of concern, visit one another and engage in social activities.

He expressed gratitude to DFID for the support, through BasicNeeds Ghana, which had provided them with livelihood activities.The Group members, however, lamented the lack of anti-psychotic medications for their upkeep, and appealed to the Government and other benevolent organisations to go to their aid.

Joshua Nartey, whom the DFID had supported with a knitting machine, said his businesses had flourished compared to when he was using an old sewing machine, adding that he now made extra income to support himself and family.

Another beneficiary, Tagoe Fusiena, who was supported with cash for  petty trading in locally prepared soft drinks; “sobolobo” and “burkina”  also expressed gratitude to the Team for their beneficence.