Eda Samuel Reddy is on a mission to prevent suicides, especially among the youth, by engaging them in dialogue and helping them snap out of suicidal thoughts.
“Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts families, friends, colleagues, communities and societies. Many of them can be prevented at the individual, community and society levels,” says Mr. Samuel, who has been relentlessly working to prevent people from resorting to the extreme step through awareness activities by Spandana Eda International Foundation (SEIF).
A manufacturer of herbal products from Guntur district, Mr. Reddy established SEIF in January 2020, a few days after his daughter Spandana ended her life. An only child, Spandana was a 24-year-old MBA graduate and would have flown to Canada in a month. However, she ended her life on January 2, 2020 over a failed relationship, leaving behind her devastated parents.
“I was aware that suicide is a serious issue, but I realised the magnitude of the problem only after a personal loss,” Mr. Samuel said.
Along with his brother Anji Reddy, Mr. Samuel formed a team of like-minded people willing to work for the spread of awareness on the issue and embarked on research that proved to be an eye-opener. “Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting and significant effects on youth, families, peers and communities. The causes are complex and involve many factors,” said Mr. Anji Reddy.
“The foundation has so far reached out to more than 3,000 people, and 170 people have told me that my programmes helped them reverse their decision to end their life,” says Mr. Samuel, adding that they are striving to build resilience in young people and help them realise that failed relationships are not the end of the world.
With the slogan of ‘Life is Precious, Value It’, the foundation members educate the youth on the need to stay mentally strong while navigating through difficult times, using programmes designed by the Reddy brothers.
“It’s like a ‘You Matter’ campaign where we try to drive home the point that each individual matters and it is not worth ending one’s life for somebody. Sometimes, life can be overwhelming and one might need a little help to balance it all,” he says, adding that the foundation tries to provide that help.
Laying stress on the eight elements of wellness, including physical, emotional, social, spiritual, financial, cultural, intellectual and environmental health, the foundation teaches ways to strike a balance.
Besides regular awareness programmes in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the duo now plans to establish a state-of-the-art SEIF Psychological Research and Counselling Centre proposed to be built in Guntur and equipped with all modern facilities and an efficient team of psychologists and psychiatrists. “Psychology is a neglected area. Our efforts are aimed at removing the stigma associated with mental illnesses,” said the duo, informing that construction of the project will start early next year.
Those struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts are urged to reach out to the helpline 8885558129, or send an email to spandanaedaif@gmail.com.