An Arise News journalist, Mary Chinda has paid school fees for four female University Students in Enugu State, saying the gesture was part of her mission for women’s mental health and educational empowerment programme
The broadcast journalist stated that the gesture was borne out of her conviction that a well-informed, well-educated girl with a deep relationship with God would turn out to be a better wife, a better mother, and a better human being.

Speaking during the Single Ladies Conference with the theme, “Inner Healing (Broken yet beautiful)”, which she hosted in Enugu, Chinda stated that gesture was the second this year, having paid school fees for two female students of the University of Nigeria (UNN) from her savings.

“And it’s just my desire that as God provides the funds, that we’ll be able to pay school fees for at least 50 women a year. We can start with 20 and then progress to 50, you know, across the country. Because I believe that a girl that is well-informed, well-educated and has a deep relationship with God would turn out to be a better wife, a better mother, and a better human being”, she said

Chinda, who further explained that the gesture was a way to give back to the society, added that not paying school fees could be a reason a girl student could get into depression or prostitution among others.

The Behavioural Therapist told several single ladies that gathered at the conference, stated that she delved into mental health from her own experience with depression and suicidal thoughts.

‘Like I said in the conference, almost a decade ago, I attempted to end my life. And, you know, that was the beginning of my mental health awareness and understanding that 10 years ago, Nigeria did not have the awareness or the capacity to deal with mental health issues like we do now. So it led me to becoming a therapist, to doing courses in mental health. And finally, now I’m finishing a diploma in grief and bereavement therapy with the Counseling Institute of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Counselors of Nigeria, CICM. You know, so it’s just because of my experience, you know, in mental health and the fact that I really couldn’t get a lot of help when I had issues with depression. Do I still have depression issues now? Yes, I do.

“But there’s more awareness, you know, with me trying to help other people and also trying to get help when I get into those places that I got into about a decade ago. So right now, these scholarships are being made available by my personal income. And it’s because I see that there’s actually a need to give back. I have a deep relationship with God. And I know that God wants us to do good works. But beyond that is the fact that paying school fees could be a reason a girl gets into depression, prostitution among others”, she added.

She further said that the choice of the conference theme was carefully chosen because of the level of economic deprivation being experienced by single ladies in the society.

“It is to say that the rape that happened to you at the age of 7, 12, 15 does not define you. The divorce does not define you. The loss that you’ve suffered in your life does not define you. And I’m speaking not just as a person who is now evolving into a grief and bereavement counselor but somebody who has seen pain, who has come face to face with pain and who God has helped to evolve. So what happened to you does not define you. Your evolving is what defines you. And you cannot evolve without God. You cannot evolve without regeneration. You cannot evolve without finding your place in God”, she added

She said the conference had held in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, stressing that there were plans to extend it to Ghana in November this year

Okay, but you said something about taking conferences to cities, yes sir. We’ve done several cities, yes sir. So how many have you done in the past? How many did you intend to do before the year?

“And so far we’ve been able to reach out to over 1,000 women over the years. And these are people that their lives have improved, you know, they’re getting better than they were when they came to our conferences and all of that. Right now we’re hoping to have more partners, but right now we do not have. So usually I would save from my salary that I earn working for Arise News. I would save from my salary and then try to give back”, she explained.

An Advocate of drug use awareness, Davis Folaranmi, said that substance use was destroying young ladies, stressing that majority of them was given to it daily.

Speaking on the disadvantages of substance use, he said that addiction could lead to multiple sexual activity, ill health, unrealised dreams and death.

“Irrespective of your condition, don’t give in to drugs. Addiction most times starts from a sip of alcohol. Some female drug addicts are getting pregnant and selling off their babies just to continue their drugs addiction”, he said

He warned against peer group pressure and influence, curiosity, trauma, saying that substance use can worsen emotional problems.

He urged the ladies to avoid use of alcohol to drown emotional problems and to always speak out when in need and above all committee their problems to God in prayer.