New Film By Ethiopian Nurse Combats Mental Health Stigmas In Africa

Ledet Muleta is well-acquainted with the damaging stigmas around mental illness in Africa.  Muleta, a 37-year-old Ethiopian-born nurse who now lives in Washington, D.C., has travelled across the African diaspora to tackle the disparities in mental health care and worked to combat the stigmas that surround it. Her work eventually inspired her to launch the non-profit organization Medixaa Health Services, which aims to fight against the stigmatization of mental illness across the continent. Through her organization, Muleta created “Chula,” a film project that chronicles one young Ethiopian woman’s battle with bipolar disorder and her experience living in Africa among a family that seemingly fails to understand the serious impact of her mental illness. Muleta believes the young woman’s story in the film reflects the life of millions of others on the continent who don’t receive adequate attention or aid in regards to the mental heath issues they face. Because of this, she has launched a Kickstarter campaign that aims to raise money to fund the full making of the film which is almost done and ready to be marketed. When complete, Muleta said “Chula” will help to generate more awareness around what African families can, and should, do to better address the needs of mental health patients. So far, the film has raised more than $20,000. In a interview with The Huffington Post, Muleta opened up about “Chula” and ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news