ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/27/2003 18 November 2003
Australian assistance to SEVAC
The Australian High Commissioner, Ms Penny Wensley, today presented the Secretary of SEVAC, Dr Tapas Kumar Ray, with a cheque of Rs 248,000 to fund a project which aims to improve the mental health of people in custodial institutions in West Bengal.
Ms Wensley, said "It is vital that society overcomes the stigma associated with mental illness. Those in custodial and correctional institutions have less access to support. We are therefore pleased to support SEVAC's work in the field of mental health. This project aims to provide medical treatment and support to people in correctional and custodial institutions in West Bengal who have a mental illness, and to highlight the rights of those people."
The funds will be utilised by SEVAC in promoting the human rights of mentally ill people in prisons, to ensure good governance in these institutes through the training of prison personnel, and also by assisting SEVAC in its endeavour to promote the rehabilitation of children and adolescents.
SEVAC (Sane and Enthusiast Volunteers' Association of Kolkata) is a mental health institute that provides psychiatric treatment for those with mental illnesses. The NGO has developed a manual on mental health and human rights training for use by the correctional institutes and NGOs in training their personnel.
The funding is part of the Direct Aid Programme (DAP) administered by the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. The DAP funds grassroots development programs in a range of areas, including education, health, income generation and the environment.
For further information please contact, Clare Duffield, Second Secretary (Political), Australian High Commission New Delhi at 2688 8223 ext 219.