April 18, 2025
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COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH

SUICIDE PREVENTION WALK

OVERVIEW

One of our mandates at BHF is breaking the silence around suicide and creating safe, informed spaces where children, teenagers, and young adults can access support and hope. The Suicide Prevention Walk is an annual initiative held during Suicide Awareness Month in September. It is designed to raise awareness, encourage open conversations, and educate underserved communities about mental health and suicide prevention.

Our inaugural walk took place in September 2024, where we marched around the Lagos 3rd Mainland Bridge and carried out community education activities at Iyana Oworo Bus Stop and surrounding neighborhoods. We shared flyers and engaged passersby on the importance of mental wellness and seeking help. This marked a strong start to what will become a yearly movement for change.

OBJECTIVES

The key objectives of the Suicide Prevention Walk are:

  • To raise awareness about suicide prevention and mental health, especially among children, teens, and young adults in low-resource communities.

  • To foster open conversations about mental health challenges and reduce the stigma associated with seeking help.

  • To remember and honour those lost to suicide and show solidarity with those who are struggling.

    OUR APPROACH

    The walk combines physical activity with grassroots mental health advocacy. The 2024 pilot walk featured:

  • Awareness Walk around 3rd Mainland Bridge: Our team walked together with signs carrying messages of hope and encouragement.

  • Community Education at Iyana Oworo: We shared flyers and engaged residents and commuters in one-on-one conversations about suicide prevention, mental health resources, and recognizing warning signs.

  • Informational Outreach: Mental health advocates spoke with small groups to answer questions and dispel myths about mental health.

Future walks will continue to build on this approach we will add mobile counselling stations, and creative engagement (e.g., music)

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Through this initiative, we aim to:

  • Improve community knowledge of mental health and suicide prevention strategies.

  • Encourage early intervention and reduce the fear of speaking up about emotional struggles.

  • Provide direct access to counselling support and referrals for long-term care especially for children and young people

OUR IMPACT – 2024 INAUGURAL WALK

Our first-ever Suicide Prevention Walk in September 2024 made a strong impact:

  • Over 700 flyers were distributed and direct engagements held at Iyana Oworo Bus Stop.

  • Community members accepted the initiatives, shared positive feedback, expressing gratitude for the knowledge shared and the opportunity to discuss about mental health.

  • 5 people expressed interest in follow-up support and counselling after the outreach. One out of the 5 persons signed up to become a volunteer with BHF.

WHAT'S NEXT?

We are excited to continue the Suicide Prevention Walk annually every September during Suicide Awareness Month, taking it to more communities across Lagos and Nigeria. The 2025 edition will include an extended walk route, community talks, creative expressions of hope, and mobile mental health support.

With every step we take, we reaffirm the message: “You are not alone. There is help. There is hope.”