Awareness is The Greatest Agent For Change
Eckhart Tolle
The DINAH Mission was established in 2020 by Ohemaa Adom K in response to her compelling desire to organize an event, to speak on childhood sexual abuse within the different Black communities. This came as an inspiration after communicating with countless women from different Black communities that went through very traumatic sexual experiences as children. The underlining sentiment was that of indifference and normalization. What resonated with a lot of the women is “what happened, happened” the sooner they moved on the better. They hid these dark moments under a rug and dared not bring them up to society, friends, and family. Some feared that they would be disowned, shamed, and punished for a crime that was committed towards them. The societal expectations of a woman are that of heightened functionality as described as the “Strong Black Woman” yet low levels of strength building, understanding, and development are provided.
The DINAH Mission came as a simple idea that later developed into a now, not-for-profit organization that was well-received by the different Black communities from Montreal and Canada. There was a need to speak on the experiences women and girls have gone through. Though it was clear that the conversations were uncomfortable as the mere talk on sexuality from within the Black communities is considered a taboo, it was a barrier that Ohemaa was willing and ready to tackle in order to gradually break down the systematic chains that bind the women and girls from freedom.
With funding received, Ohemaa successfully launched the Black Wellness event where she had the opportunity to speak about DINAH and express her desire to the public about where she sought to bring the project. Though it is a continued effort, DINAH connected with the different Black organizations and with the community at large. These engagements developed into several funding and visibility opportunities.
The message that the DINAH Mission is projecting is that of achieving awareness in order to gain healing not only for oneself but for the generations to come. Balanced and sane mental health is vital at every stage of our lives, from childhood to adulthood, it cannot be overlooked nor neglected. Unfortunately, it is a topic that is also very much overlooked within the Black community due to stigmatizations within the community, and false perceptions of weakness. Also, due to the disparities within the different social and health services Black communities are simply not understood nor serviced adequately.
Black women and girls deserve access to culturally appropriate mediums of healing and wellness altogether. Our resource center is therefore developed to bring together Black professionals from within the trade to work together towards empowering our community.
Events, information sessions, and workshops are strategically conducted to create safe spaces and provide educational opportunities for the community to gain a better understanding of this trauma and how they can begin to overcome it.
It is not an easy journey, but one that is life-changing. Women play an extremely impactful and fundamental role in society. For this reason, it is imperative that their overall well-being and mental health be at acute levels.