During the month of November ETA Said Haji prepared for and implemented his Community Engagement Project titled mental health awareness in Indonesia. Said leading the project with the aid of his students, were able to facilitate discussions on why is mental health so stigmatized in Indonesia, and another pair of students lead a session on ‘how can we students be supported in terms of mental health’.

Fortunately, Ms. Mahdia a mental health professional with a master’s degree in clinical psychology was able to conclude the event by giving a presentation on basic mental health disorders, and ‘how we as a community can combat the stigma to produce better outcomes in Indonesia’. The students afterward came up to Ms. Mahdia, and were able to ask more personalized questions. The sessions received positive reviews from not only the 50 students that attended but also the 10 teachers also in attendance.

Also in the month of November Said was invited to go on a camping trip with students from the 11th-grade class. One of the students’ father took them to a mountain called Gunung Katunun about three hours outside of the city. They arrived and started the two-hour hike up the mountain to see a marvelous sight. They finally made it up the mountain, and the students taught Said how to make a tent. They stayed up late at night, built a campfire, and were telling scary stories. After that, they slept for a few hours and woke up around 4 am to see the beautiful sunrise.

Said Haji is currently teaching at SMAN 7 Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.