Today we’d like to introduce you to Sir Duke Ughanze.
Sir Duke, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
According to my mother, since I was barely walking, I have always had an affinity to want to help those who seemed in need or in danger. I’ve never liked seeing someone neglected because they didn’t fit in with the majority. I vowed to my older brother Philip when I was 20 years old, I would set up something to be able to help those who were not as fortunate as we were. Not in the sense of finances (because we’re not rich), but fortunate in the sense that we have always had the basic necessities to live a healthy, productive life.
Fast forward some years; there was a peak in mental health-related incidences around the world. I was sure that these situations had been taking place, but in this age of information from around the globe started to become overwhelming. It seemed to be the forefront story on every informational outlet I happen to read, watch or listen to. Coincidentally, during the time I was taking developmental psychology in nursing school my younger sister had her first manic episode on her university campus. It bothered me deeply as I learned about what people in our communities were going through, but it wasn’t until my sister had her fourth manic episode that I decided that I wanted to focus on mental health and figure out how to help those struggling with maintaining their balance in life.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been an easy journey. As passionate as I may be about helping those in need it has been a struggle. The lack of resources, ability to effectively get the information to the public and getting volunteer assistance has made it extremely challenging to carryout out the mission.
One of the biggest obstacles we face is being able to have a conversation about mental health with someone battling with their wellness, being able to discuss with someone who has a loved one struggling with their stability. The world is still very uneducated and/or uncomfortable with discussing this topic.
Genius Give’s goal isn’t just to bring awareness but to educate the people. Getting individuals comfortable enough to open up about any mental struggles that they may be dealing with has proven to be hard for us. There is a level of trust that must be earned and to nurture that takes time. We also want to build confidence with those dealing with mental health issues, helping them understand that they should not be ashamed about not being mentally healthy. Building their confidence with letting those around them know what they are dealing with mentally. Promoting healthy habits like this allows the opportunity for assistance from individuals who want to help.
Another part of the challenges with mental health is educating the public about how mental illness should be treated and acknowledged like diabetes, high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease, etc. They are all illnesses that can manifest themselves in an individual genetically, congenitally or due to lifestyle choices. People typically don’t associate the mind with being a by-product of the brain and therefore, may not function appropriately if it’s damaged or not taken care of properly. Spreading awareness about the need for everyone to be educated on the different factors that can be attributed to mental illness. Helping the world understand the struggles an individual has battling poor mental health and hoping we all show more empathy towards those struggling with their mental health.
Our financial struggles have been another difficult roadblock to overcome being that we’re a relatively new grass-root foundation. Most of our funding has come from members in the foundation. Its been such a humbling experience taking this journey with these special individuals who have made huge sacrifices of not just money, but time and energy. These sacrifices have been extremely taxing on us as an organization. We genuinely want to help those who are suffering while still maintaining our livelihood. It is not easy and while we continue to work on establishing sponsors and obtaining other resources, we will stay focused on the reason we all came together to help those in need.
Please tell us about Genius Gives Foundation.
Genius Gives Foundation (GGF) was founded with the intention of helping those affected by mental illness. In the healthcare industry, there has been progressed in understanding how the human brain works. It is clear how a healthy brain does affect the vitality of a person’s life. However, there is an alarming upward trend in apparent mental illness in individuals of all ages, sexes, races, and economic backgrounds. With this rise in concerns, GGF has decided to make a firm stance in addressing mental health to ensure we work toward bringing positive change.
Our goal is to enlighten the community on the staggering number of people who silently battle with misdiagnosed and/or untreated mental health issues. GGF would like to eradicate the stigma around mental health. It is important that our community understands that everyone is directly or indirectly affected. Every individual can make a difference in helping end the silence surrounding mental illness. It is imperative to empower individuals and families struggling with getting help.
Public education and civic activities are some of the things we do to encourage mental health awareness. With the involvement and teamwork with social influencers, public figures, and those committed to helping we have made amazing strides in the short time that we’ve been formed.
As of to this date, I’m most proud of Genius Gives curating the Mental Health Awareness Festival (MHA Fest). It is a yearly event where we brought together mental health organizations from all around the city of Houston and the United States. These organizations set up booths to share their information, resources, and services. There were a series of different types of performers entertaining the attendees. The MHA Fest had deejays, musicians, artists who painted caricatures for guests, poets, motivational guest speakers, spiritual gurus that instructed the festival in some meditation therapy exercises and magicians. We had several special guests come show their support including a representative from the mayor’s office. Successfully hosting and sponsoring the MHA Fest was a truly humbling experience.
I believe what sets Genius Gives apart from everyone else is the makeup and background of the individuals who have chosen to join in this fight. This organization has a genuine drive for change and positive impact. We have members of different professional backgrounds who chose to use their expertise to help the foundation get closer to accomplishing the goals that have been set.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe the most important thing to our success is making sure that we don’t compromise the integrity of our mission to help those struggling to take control of their mental health.
Joining efforts with other individuals and entities will enable us in accomplishing our mission towards dedicating services to individuals and the community through mental health awareness. We would like to achieve success with making it normal to seek help for mental health issues. Having more open discussions about mental health among one another and making society more aware of the mental health issues is paramount in gauging our success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.geniusgives.org
- Phone: 9177403853
- Email: geniusgives@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geniusgives/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeniusGives/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/GeniusGives/
Image Credit:
Headshot photo taken by Jake Norsworthy
Other photos taken by Alvin Haynes Jr.
Genius Gives Foundation Logo designed by Duke Ughanze & Chris Best
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