The founder of the One Project Africa Founda­tion (OPAF), a non-profit organ­isation focused on empowering women and girls, Veronica Naema Abdulai, has cautioned that mental health is not a luxury but the foundation upon which every girl's future must be built.She emphasised that without mental wellness, young girls would continue to struggle silently with learning, dreaming, and relating to others, warning that the lack of at­tention to girls' mental health was costing society their potential.Ms Abdulai was speaking at a mental health awareness session organised by OPAF for students of the Accra Girls Senior High School in Accra.It was held under the theme: 'Empowering her mind, voice and power: fostering a resilient to­morrow for the girl child through mental wellness.'She said the Foundation had come together under the symbol of the "powerful queen" empow­ering her mind, voice, and power."These are not just words, they are the three pillars of resilience: a clear mind, a courageous voice, and a strong sense of self-worth," she emphasised.Ms Abdulai referenced the Mental Health Authority of Gha­na, which had recorded rising psy­chological distress among teenage girls linked to academic pressure, family issues, gender-based vio­lence, and isolation."And yet, despite the rising need, mental health remains one of the most misunderstood and neglected issues in our society.

We teach girls how to pass exams but not how to process pain.

We teach them to obey instructions but not how to handle rejection.

We are obsessed with excellence but ignore the exhaustion," she said.She encouraged students to embrace their emotions and seek help when struggling."You are not weak for having emotions.