Newsletter (July-September 2021)

“In order to move forward, you will have to stumble along the way, but every falter in your stride just makes your next step even stronger.”

– Lindsay Chamberlin

Recovering from the uncertainties brought on by the second wave of COVID 19, June to September saw Sisters Living Works make significant strides in its work and expansion of the team. Meenakshi Nagwekar joined as Director of Sisters Living Works. With experience spanning over 20 years in the education industry and social sector, she brings in a promising vision for Sisters Living Works.

Meenakshi with several years of experience in the education industry and social sector understands the difficulties faced by our generation today. Owing to the pandemic and the situation that the world is in today, she is now dedicated to working toward suicide prevention and mental health programs with Sisters Living Works. 

She has previously also worked with organizations like Katalyst India and Aditya Birla(AWOO Foundation) serving students coming from humble backgrounds. Having worked with a vast number of students coming from different backgrounds and walks of life, she has developed a better understanding of the mental and social challenges faced by them. The priority at this point in her life is to use her past experience along with new learnings to help individuals overcome these challenges with mental health at the forefront. 

Today suicide is a major public health concern. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in India and the World. Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable. Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can help save lives. We at Sisters Living Works have been striving hard to reach out and educate as many people as possible through various mediums, including workshops, support groups, counselors training programs, and our annual conference on world suicide prevention day.

Continuing our endeavors to sensitize people around suicide prevention, we conducted a series of workshops in partnership with different organizations across India. Our sessions continue to reiterate the importance of help-seeking behavior and providing resources to access this help. With every session we conduct, we are made aware of the prevalence of misinformation surrounding suicides. Hence, continually refining the structure and content of our workshops. During the last three months, we conducted sessions for several organizations including:

  • Aavya Therapy of Hope
  • Teach for India (Alumni)
  • Valia College of Commerce and Arts, Mumbai
  • Dance for Mental Health
  • MAAC India

Through our Support Groups for survivors of suicide loss and those experiencing mental health issues, we continue to provide a safe and non-judgmental space where people can share and connect with each other. Our monthly support group has seen an increase in participation during the last three months.

In July, we conducted our first Counselor’s training program for school counsellors and educators. An extensive 16-hour training, spanning over 4 weekends; the course received encouraging reviews from all participants. Shedding light on suicide prevention among school-age children, the course equips one to deal with suicide-related emergencies while initiating a suicide-free environment in schools.

Sisters Living Works organized its 7th Annual Conference during World Suicide Prevention month. Held on 11th and 12th September 2021, the two-days conference included sessions addressing a myriad topic surrounding suicide prevention. Eminent psychiatrist Dr. Harish Shetty shed light on the effect of the pandemic on the well-being of individuals. This session was followed by a comprehensive presentation by Arjun Kapoor from the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy on the role of the individual and community in suicide prevention. Speaking from a space of lived experience and her fierce advocacy for the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals, Dr. Aqsa Shaikh educated the audience on the need to create a safe and supportive environment for individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community. The day ended with a relaxing session on art therapy conducted by Aastha Ahuja, founder of MpowerU. 

The second day of the conference commenced with an insightful session by a leading psychiatrist  Dr. Anjali Chhabria on young adults coping with the pandemic. She runs Mindtemple, a mental health center in Mumbai. The session was followed by questions from concerned parents and students; each eager to learn tips and strategies to sail through these times. Sharing a powerful narrative around the need to support survivors of loss, Ashish Thakur’s (senior psychologist, Mindtemple), the session moved the audience to tears. Facilitating the transition from a powerful session that stirred up strong emotions and feelings, board-certified dance/movement therapist Deepa Avula introduced the audience to a beautiful session on dance/movement therapy to help them relax. Ending the conference on a beautiful note, we saw two wonderful performances. Indie singer-songwriter Shachi Pathak enthralled the audience with songs centered around hope and courage. Dancer and mental health coach Siddhi Desai ensured the audience swooned into a state of zen with her classical dance performance.

Competitions around Conference:

In the run-up to the conference, Sisters Living Works organized a series of competitions to give people a chance to express their voice, vision, and art. Centered around suicide prevention, the poster-making, short-film, creative writing competition saw participants from across India sharing their insights on the topic. The winners of the competitions had the opportunity to share the story behind their work.

Besides our workshops, support groups, and training course, Sisters Living Works participated in the following:

  • Participated in a workshop on Suicide Safety Planning at Mann Mela: Hope Through Action, a two-day event organized by Sangath, a not-for-profit organization, to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.
  • Served as panelists at Let’s Connect To Protect organized by SNDT University and R.D National College.
  • Was invited by Leaders of Tomorrow, a student-run initiative of Manipal Academy of Higher Education to speak on suicide prevention and our work on Instagram Live.

 Although much has been accomplished in the last few months, great challenges lie ahead. We will continue to strengthen our existing programs and expand our reach. The Sisters Living Works Team expresses its gratitude to our speakers, guests, interns, volunteers, and especially our donors and all those involved in helping Sisters Living Works accomplish its mission. Please continue to support our cause.
It is your support that makes this possible!

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SistersLivingWorks, 10132 Ashburton Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817 

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Bank: Axis Bank
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