KOCHI: In June 2019, Changanassery native Rahul Roy (23) and his college junior Sanjna Elizabeth George (20), from Kochi, started the page ‘Humans of Kerala’ on Instagram. Alumni of St Stephen’s College, Delhi, Rahul and Sanjna sought inspiration from the ‘Humans of New York’ and ‘Humans of Bombay’ pages. Along with friends Danny Mathew (21), Subin Shaji (23) and Nithin Abraham Prasad (22), Rahul and Sanjna traversed the length and breadth of Kerala, lending their ears to people. Over time, the page was flooded with extraordinary stories filled with the grit of Malayalis, showcasing the voices of a close-knit community.
But the founders observed that several stories sparked subliminal questions on mental health and the stigma associated with it. Wanting to do something on the same, on October 10, 2019, World Mental Health Day, they set up ‘SoundMind’. Upon comprehending the need for mental health awareness campaigns, ‘SoundMind’ conducted workshops in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Bengaluru.
However, just as they began to normalise conversations on mental health, the pandemic struck. Mental health during Covid“By the end of March, we began receiving several messages on Instagram requesting help. We, at HoK, realised that shifting to online platforms was the most convenient and effective way of conducting workshops in such trying circumstances. We connected with a few therapists initially and then considered conducting group sessions on anxiety and depression,” says Rahul, currently working in a Singapore-based company in Bengaluru. Promptly, they created a WhatsApp group called ‘Outliving Quarantine’ comprising around 100 members.
With a network of therapist, the group kept people engaged and was a one-stop venue offering solutions to problems they faced during the lockdown, no matter what may be the cause of the worry. Shift from ‘SoundMind’ to ‘The Yellow Club’“But, by mid-April, there was a huge influx of people wanting to join the group. For feasibility and easier communication, we moved onto a website and rebranded from the ‘SoundMind’ to ‘The Yellow Club’. The Yellow Club sounded more positive -- our focus was also on the overall well being of a person. The newly branded initiative had one-on-one therapies and more. After the website was set up, our Instagram page boomed (13.3k followers and counting). Now we have 30 to 40 people working on the initiative with tremendous support from NGOs and students,” says Rahul.
Demographics
According to Rahul, while 60 per cent are Malayalis, the rest of the group constitutes people from Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. “The majority of our audience are students. Even though the age bracket ranges from 18 to 28, most are aged 20 to 23. We receive enquiries from those who are unable to meet their regular therapists, people who have lost their jobs and are stressed about an uncertain future and students who are upset about being confined to their homes during the lockdown. Currently, there is a pressing need for online therapy -- we have around 50 practitioners who are happy to deliver and help The Yellow Club,” he explains.
Affordable and accessible
The Yellow Club has rendered its services at a time when the horizon is hazy and the world doesn’t seem to make sense anymore. It is imperative to be kind to your mind, prioritise and normalise fear, stress and worry that can be crippling your mind. “Our main objective is to make mental health more accessible and affordable to everyone. The former is done utilising technology and the latter is provided free for those, especially students, who aren’t able to afford the nominal fee of `500 for one-to-one therapy sessions.As of now, we have conducted eight free sessions, which are funded by those who’re able to pay for their exclusive sessions. Group sessions are free to all,” stresses Rahul.
Mystery of love and pride counselling
“In May, we held a workshop called ‘Mystery of Love’, which shed light on sexuality. This amassed such a tremendous response that we had to conduct three online sessions of the same. It made us realise that there was a huge information gap on sexuality and orientation,” says Rahul. He adds that the suicide of Anjana Harish, who was forced into conversion therapy paved way for pride counselling.
“We recognised that even among marginalised sections of society, the right kind of help would help avoid such unfortunate incidents. Also, as June is the LGBTQ Pride month, the timing was right. We collaborated with queer groups, communities and channelised requests,” adds Rahul. The Yellow Club also conducts sessions on pet therapy, dance and movement therapy and live improve discussions. “Repetitive lecture-like sessions can be monotonous. At The Yellow Club, we use art as a means of therapy,” adds Rahul.Visit @yellowclubofficial or yellowclub.in for more details.