Harun’s Story

Hi, my name is Abdullah Al Harun from Bangladesh. I am working with ADD International as the Project Manager of the community-based mental health project for children and young people in marginalised communities. ADD International is a participatory grant-maker for disability justice. Our vision is for a world in which ableism no longer exists and in which persons with disabilities can access their whole rights and experience justice.

Our mission is to resource disability justice activists and organisations, nurture lived experience leadership and influence fairness in funding. Disability justice activists are powerful agents for change. However, I am leading the mental health program of ADD in Bangladesh to develop an equal and inclusive, community-based mental health support system to improve the mental health and well-being of underserved children and young people, particularly girls and young women and those with other disabilities. 

This project is part of our program to bridge the gaps and strengthen mental health support where mental health services are not available, especially in climate and disaster-prone areas and urban slum areas. I am working as a mental health promoter and addressing key gaps in healthcare services for children and youth, improving access to mental health support and services and their social and economic rights with support from their families and communities - with more dignity, and reduced stigma and discrimination, leading to better and healthier lives. We developed a community mental health model, consisting of the diverse participation of community members, including community mental health first aiders and frontline workers.

I have been actively involved in advocacy with the government for policy formulation, reform and implications. As a result of the combined advocacy, the Bangladesh government recently approved the Mental Health Policy 2022, and developed a mental health strategic plan for the next 10 years in Bangladesh.

“I am an active member of the Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) and I feel proud of being a member of this most vibrant and progressive global network for promoting mental health worldwide.”

I am also working for suicide prevention and decriminalisation in the country as suicide is an alarming problem in Bangladesh, especially among young people. We, the ADD team, are exploring risk factors and potential interventions to tackle suicide among young people in the country.

I am an active member of the Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) and I feel proud of being a member of this most vibrant and progressive global network for promoting mental health worldwide. I am enthusiastically involved with several Working Groups of the network, including Suicide Decriminsaltion, Universal Health Coverage, Child & Youth etc.

I have also already learned a lot by participating in Working Group meetings, webinars and all meetings organised by the Network. GMHAN is not only a network, but a global family of learned mental health activists, practitioners, researchers, psychiatrists, psychologists and promoters.

By joining and participating in this network, I have learned some good ideas to promote mental health, think of new things and enrich my advocacy program. It has created a lot of opportunities for global collaboration and networking which we can utilise to amplify changes in our mental health work.

If you would like to share your story with GMHAN we invite you to complete the form on this page.