Project Title
MindFirst: Equipping Youth with Mental Health First Aid in Bangladesh

Lead Organization
Mindy – Youth-Led Mental Health Support Platform

Supported by
UNESCO Global Youth Grant Scheme
SEVENTEEN #GoingTogether Campaign

Background & Rationale
Bangladesh is facing a silent crisis in youth mental health. While more than 16 million adolescents struggle with emotional well-being, limited access to mental health services, widespread stigma, and a shortage of trained professionals leave most of them unsupported. This gap calls for community-based, youth-led interventions.
The MindFirst Project is designed to bridge this divide by training young people in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) — empowering them to recognize signs of distress, provide peer support, and guide individuals toward professional help when needed.

Overall Goal
To build a youth-led support system that fosters early mental health intervention and promotes resilience among adolescents and young adults in Bangladesh.

Specific Objectives

• Train 1500+ youths (ages 16–25) in Mental Health First Aid.

• Form at least 20 peer support groups in educational institutions and communities.

• Raise awareness to reduce stigma and encourage mental well-being through outreach and campaigns.

• Implement a Train-the-Trainer model to sustain long-term community-based support.

Target Audience

• Primary: High school, college and university students (ages 14–25)

• Secondary: Teachers, parents, youth workers, and community influencers

Special focus on

• Marginalized and underserved communities

• Youth in rural or low-income settings

• Adolescents exposed to trauma or academic stress

Core Activities

1. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Workshops

   • Facilitated by trained mental health professionals

   • Culturally adapted and youth-friendly curriculum

   • Certification upon completion

2. Awareness Campaigns

   • Social media activations, school outreach, and public dialogues

   • Use of storytelling, art, and music to destigmatize mental health

3. Peer Support Network Formation

   • Selection and training of Peer Support Leaders

   • Facilitation of regular peer support circles in schools and communities

4. Train-the-Trainer Program

   • Equip 50 selected youth leaders to become future facilitators

   • Ensure replication and scalability of the model

5. Monitoring & Evaluation

   • Baseline and endline surveys

   • Feedback loops for curriculum refinement

   • Impact stories and progress tracking

Expected Outcomes

• 500+ young people trained in basic MHFA skills

• 50 active peer support groups across 10+ districts

• Over 10,000 youth reached through awareness campaigns

• Increased help-seeking behavior and reduced stigma

• A replicable youth-led MHFA training model for national scale-up

Duration
April – October 2025 (7 months)