HOUSTON: Karwan-e-Hayat hosted its first mental health awareness program in Houston, Texas, bringing together community leaders, elected representatives, medical professionals, social workers, volunteers, and other community members. The event aimed to raise awareness about mental health issues, address misconceptions and stigma surrounding mental health, and promote open and positive dialogue on this important issue.
Zahid Butt played an important role in successfully coordinating the event’s arrangements and logistics. He worked closely with the Karwan-e-Hayat team to coordinate various administrative and organizational aspects of the program.
Members of the Karwan-e-Hayat executive team, along with prominent Houston community leaders and philanthropists, attended the event. Participants included Saeed Sheikh, Ms. Hashmat Effendi, Texas House District 76 Representative Dr. Suleman Lalani, Ms. Zakia Lalani, and Dr. Javed Ashraf, President of Pakistan Business Forum USA.
The chief guest was Dr. Asim Shah, who has been working for several decades to promote mental health awareness, understanding, and positive attitudes in the Houston community. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shah noted that mental health can affect people of every age and from every walk of life, while each individual’s experience and journey is unique. For some, life may progress relatively smoothly, while sudden changes, difficult circumstances, and challenging experiences can sometimes lead to emotional struggles.
He emphasized that one of the greatest barriers to addressing mental health challenges is often not the condition itself, but the stigma and negative perceptions surrounding mental health. He stressed the importance of promoting understanding, compassion, and open conversation so that people who need support can seek help without hesitation.
The contributions of young volunteers were also recognized during the event. They played an active role in supporting the program and its awareness campaign. Members of the media also contributed by covering the event and helping raise public awareness about the importance of mental health.
The organizers expressed their special appreciation to Jameel Siddiqui, Shameem Syed, and Mahmood Ahmed, as well as the media team and all volunteers whose efforts helped extend the important message of mental health awareness to a wider audience.
