Ribbons and resilience: school campaign tackles stigma of mental illness

By Lorraine Ng

This past month has been Mental Health Awareness Month at RCHK. Held between the 27th of September and the 28th of October, it is a new event at RCHK organized by the counselling, pastoral and house teams that immerses secondary students in a plethora of mental-health related activities.

RCHK students pose at the lunch booth (Image by the Mental Health Awareness Month organisers).

The aim of the month was to promote mental health awareness and enhance physical well-being for everyone in the school community by increasing student participation in activities within school. Events such as the Swim and Land Gala allowed students to enjoy themselves through exercise and sport, while student-led lunch activities such as Beyond Talk’s lunch booth and FUN@1PM enabled students to relax and erase the stigma of mental health. In addition, the month sought to foster student discussion regarding well-being, and developing resilience in the midst of tough mental health battles. 

One way students were involved was through small donations to the school’s Green Ribbon Campaign, aiming to raise awareness of topics such as anxiety for further action. This campaign was open to students for the whole month, and all donations went towards a local non-government organization called OCD & Anxiety Support Hong Kong (OCDAHK). Not only was it a great way for students to learn more about supporting local charities targeted at promoting mental health, but it also allowed students to wear a well-designed green ribbon throughout the month. 

When asked about the positive impact OCDAHK would have from donations, RCHK social worker Angela Lee explained that by supporting the Green Ribbon Campaign the local NGO would be able to provide support for people suffering from mental illness. She added that the campaign could help support OCDAHK by providing counselling and “mutual help to young people at a low cost.”

Leanne Leung, a Year 9 student, praised those involved for supporting mental health: “It's wonderful to see people willing to help the community, which can benefit a lot of people.” 

Year 9 student Ema Poposka commented that she purchased a green ribbon because she wanted to donate to charities that strive to “improve the lives of people with mental health problems” while “supporting them to overcome their struggles.” She says that wearing the green ribbon can be a source of comfort for people who are struggling with coping with their mental obstacles, as it shows that she can be approached and “be a good listener”, without being judgmental. In terms of motivating others to spread and support mental-awareness, Poposka encourages her friends and fellow students to donate “whatever they can.” She expressed that “even little donations” can help and make a “great difference in the lives of people.”