Sometimes all we need is to be heard, someone who can just sit and listen to our sighs. Mind and heart are two spaces in which humans mutter and where the plan for life can begin. The two often contradict each other and it affects the inner condition of humans. There is improvement room for mental health to help one’s mind remain healthy, but the obstacles such as the economic factor, the safety factor, or maybe the space are only temporary and don’t always be there for us, these often exist as well.

Many of you must have experienced it. Just like the CEO and Founder of the largest mental health community in Indonesia called Social Connect, Sepri Andi, who started his career in the capital city of Jakarta. Times where various stress symptoms such as insomnia and difficulty controlling the mind are indeed not easy to go through, especially when he met those obstacles to fix his mental health.

Seeing the condition this guy was experiencing, it also happened to many other young people. That is when Social Connect was established, in 2019, with the purpose to provide a safe place for young people in Indonesia to talk comfortably. Social Connect started with a social project to share stories and content about mental health. The first campaign that was held talked about self-love and managed to get more than 3 thousand participants.

With this good start, Social Connect continues to move towards its vision by managing digital content and organizing interesting activities for Indonesian youth with assistance from the medical team. The programs currently being held by Social Connect are more than just mental health issues. Social Connect also sees other social issues related to mental health, such as work issues, unhealthy relationships, family problems, and the issues of pandemic Covid-19.

What are the interesting events from Social Connect that can help you to have a healthy mental? One which is currently running is the ambassador program. The first batch of Social Connect ambassadors is currently carrying out its final project and people are enthusiastic about the open recruitment. The second batch of Social Connect ambassadors program is also running with the theme “the light in us” and is going pretty well with hundreds of supporters on Twibbonize and social media.

Social Connect Ambassador Program • by Social Connect

Link: twb.nz/sc-ambassador

Most of Social Connect’s events use the Twibbonize frame to introduce the program to a wider audience. Its audience is similar to Twibbonize users, who are junior and senior high school students, as well as those employees or college students. Despite as symbolism, the frame used in the activities held by Social Connect also builds and increases the awareness and interest of the people who see it.

“When people see the post, they get curious, what event is this… what matters is that the frame design is clear, not too crowded, and simple, so it can make people curious,” said Andi.

Social Connect is also currently running a mini Bootcamp activity. A series of events are designed in this Bootcamp program to solve existing mental health problems along with a Twibbonize frame.

Mini Bootcamp Kesehatan Mental oleh Social Connect • by Social Connect

Link: twb.nz/minibootcampb1

Social Connect is collaborating with the United States Embassy and @America for this Mini Bootcamp program to bring mental health issues to teenagers in developing countries.

Not only with the US Embassy, but Social Connect also often collaborates with other organizations, such as an ed-tech start-up to discuss topics related to working issues such as the topic of the 30 first days at work and career planning, collaboration with museums to invite Indonesian youth to go adventure in the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia to see the history of the development of mental health and its comparison with the condition of Indonesian mental health today and more interesting things.

The Twibbonize frame from Social Connect is not only for the interesting activities it holds, but it is also used to commemorate special days, such as the World AIDS Day frame which has managed to get more than 300 supports below;

World AIDS Day Social Connect • by Muhammad Fahmi Hawari Nasution

Link: twb.nz/wadsc

In addition, Social Connect holds public education program with medical experts every month, and the one held in May 2022 is called “Mental Health First Aid”. Social Connect provides education about what and how to do if the people around us experience something that affects their mentality.

Currently, Social Connect has around 40 team members and more than 50 communities spread across various digital platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Social Connect websites. On the Social Connect website page, you can also find dozens of articles about mental health from credible sources such as psychologists.

It is undeniable that the actions of Social Connect are needed by Indonesian youths, especially for their mental health. As the Founder and CEO of Social Connect, Andi conveyed two things keys to recovering from mental health issues, such as giving and dedicating. Giving is not only about money, but we can also give other meaningful things, such as free time, helping people, or listening to people’s stories.

“That way, we know that life is that complex, sometimes our lives are not as complex as others’, but then by ‘giving’ we know which phase we are in,” said Andi.

Then, with dedication, it allows us to see a lot of good people who will help us to be successful when we want to help others to be successful as well.

“I think, people who are facing mental health problems with those two things can be more mature in seeing and dealing with the problems they face,” he added.

Whatever and however the influence of life experiences on mental health today is determined by the way you deal with it. Here, Social Connect is one of the good real results of a tough life experience, and it presents here to help you go through any of your thoughts and feelings.