A group of young leaders from Mindanao are paving their way to build a mentally healthier Philippines through their various projects directly concerning the affected areas of Maguindanao.

The team MaguindaNOW is composed of five Youth Exchange and Study Program– United States Government Alumni (YES-USG) who established their project called “Peace of Mind” that aims to capacitate and train teachers and guidance counselors to become a Mental Health and Psychosocial Service Provider. They are Abdul Rahman Alongan, Jeahan Haron, Jowahdi Salik, Harris Sulaiman and Johnson Badawi, all from Cotabato City.

One of the recipients of their project are the students from the affected areas of Mamasapano National High school, Maguindanao who were exposed to prolonged armed conflicts that had affected their mental health. Their teachers and guidance counselors were trained to become a Mental Health service provider, had their re-cho to the other local communities tackling about Mental Health and Psychosocial sessions in Stress Management, Coping Mechanisms, Disaster Preparedness etc.

The team of Mr. Badawi, RPm has been recognized in the region of Maguindano and supported by the Department of Education- ARMM. Recently, they garnered 5th place during the Ideas Positive Run Grand Finals held at Unilab Bayanihan Center, Pasig City last August 10-12, 2017.

To know more about the Peace of Mind Project kindly visit:  https://www.facebook.com/maguindanow/

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