Basic Needs India (BNI), since 2001, has worked on mental health issues across 50 districts in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha. In collaboration with partners, BNI has also reached out to people with mental illness living in 100 slums in Bangalore city.

It was another challenging and an intense year with key developments. The work with partners in Odisha, Maharashtra and the three States in south India – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh progressed as per the plan and satisfactorily. It was reassuring to see the efforts put in by the partners in Odisha to carry on the mental health work despite the deficiency of service under the District Mental Health Program (DMHP).

It was another challenging and an intense year with changes and developments in the organisation. There was a change in leadership in BNI with Dr S. Rajaram taking charge as Executive Director from Dr. Mani Kalliath who left after serving in the organisation for eight years. Change in governance, Ms Mallika Ramarao was elected as the chairperson of BNI Trust. Programmes and strategy for fundraising were discussed and revised in view of the current working relationship with partners and finances in the organisation.

It was an intense year with activities to complete the programmes as per the schedule. The work with partners in Odisha, Maharashtra and two States in south India – Karnataka and Tamil Nadu progressed satisfactorily as per the plan. The programme in Odisha and Maharashtra was revised due to the fact that financial support from SDTT was only till February 2018, hence the focus was on ways of continuation and sustainability of activities after the end of grant period.

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The importance of mental health remains unchanged over centuries and so the treatment gap to persons with mental disturbances. Hence, there is no let out in the vigour with which BNI takes her dream forward into the community, using her Community Mental Health and Development (CMHD) approach.