It’s Okay to Not be Okay: Praxis Hangouts in Sokoto
Praxis Magazine — one of the foremost literary journals in Africa on Sunday, 7th November, 2021 debuted its creative hangout in Sokoto, tagged Praxis Hangout.
Praxis Hangout is a physical gathering of creative people, literary enthusiasts, ideators, and disruptors. As a platform, it initiates discussion among industry players and find ways of attending to social challenges using art. Praxis has previously hung out in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna among other states.
In its first outing in Sokoto themed “It’s Okay to Not be Okay”, Praxis collaborated with a number of literary platforms to pull it off. They include Book O’clock, Poetry Club UDUS, Sokoto Book and Arts Festival and CALF.
The event opened with a remark by the state coordinator of the hangout, Uchenna Emelife, who doubles as the Creative Director of Book O’clock. He welcomed all participants of the event and told them about Praxis Hangout and its vision.
See also: All the Memorable Moments from the first Book and Arts Festival in Sokoto
Afterwards, there was a keynote address by Dr. Attahiru Abusufyan, the Senior Registrar of the department of Mental Health, Usmanu Danfofiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. He spoke on “Mental Health Discourse and its Reception in Nigeria” where he talked about the consequences of refusing to acknowledge and discuss mental health issues in Nigeria.
After the mini-lecture, there was a creative interlude from Nigerian writer and essayist, Isah Aliyu Chiroma. Isah Aliyu Chiroma read out his story story, My Mental Health | Coping with 96 days of Anxiety, a creative nonfiction about his friend who battled with anxiety for so long and had to seek for therapy.
The event continued with a screening of Numb — a short film by Atiana Manriquez. Numb follows the story of a high school girl whose parents, especially her father, are not supportive of her dreams of being a psychologist. She also endures fat shaming from her school mates and has a sister that has refused to acknowledge her struggles. The film exposed some of the things we say and do that can be triggers to mental illness. After the screening, comments and questions were entertained.
There was yet another creative interlude, this time, a duet poetry performance by Rahma and Kahrah Ibrahim. Their piece interrogated the reception to mental illness and how damaging it can be to that person who suffers it.
The highlight of the day was the panel discussion that followed next. Themed after the hangout’s theme: “It’s Okay to Not be Okay”, the panel featured mental health advocates and creatives in Sokoto. It served as a platform for both panelists and members of the audience to air their mental health related struggles. The mental health experts in the panel thereafter provided tips and recommended healthy methods young people can adopt to maintain their mental well-being. Uchenna Emelife moderated the discussion and had the following as panelists: Dr. Attahiru Abusufyan, Mental Health Expert; Olugbemiro Bolarinwa, Mental Health Enthusiast; Alexander Essene, Digital Artist; Michael Imossan, Poet and Salihu Mahe, Poet.
The event would come to a close with a vote of thanks by the Praxis Hangout Sokoto state Coordinator, Uchenna Emelife. He thanked Praxis Magazine for the initiative of a hangout; thanked the guest speakers; thanked the audience and finally thanked his team, which in his words, “made the day possible.” Photographs and networking followed afterward.
See below for more scenes at the maiden edition of Praxis Hangout Sokoto:
