MannMukti

MannMukti has succeeded at creating digital content and planning events to serve South Asians; however, we want to further enhance our services by leaning more into digital health delivery and developing a 24/7/365 portfolio of services. We are looking to flesh out our ecosystem by not only scaling our content production efforts, but also creating virtual spaces on our MannMukti website and digital applications to become the home of South Asian youth mental health advocacy across nationalities and illnesses. As such, our team is pursuing the Elevate Prize to gather resources and network with other key leaders in the digital health delivery space.

This vision extends to key initiatives currently in development at MannMukti, including creating an always-accessible virtual counseling center for South Asian youth, increasing our funding and execution of mental health programming on college campuses via our affiliated University Chapters, and marrying our digital presence with physical spaces for key causes (e.g., developing a social / employment resource center for LGBTQ+ South Asians in need). Our organization thinks big and has a strong execution record, and is looking to the Elevate Prize to scale our impact to the next level.

After mental health issues led to the death of his best friend, Abhijith Ravinutala founded MannMukti because he knew that he and the South Asian community could’ve done better. He made it his aim to increase awareness and compassion for South Asians living with mental illness. In short, he set out to reduce the stigma so no one would feel the way that his friend did.

Drawing from our founding, our vision is to see a world where South Asian communities can, with ease, discuss and seek responsive help for their mental health. Our purpose is to change the narrative around South Asian mental health by forming a supportive community for mental health discussion, awareness, and care. We have acted on these ideals, seen our impact on thousands of South Asian-Americans, and received testimonials for our efforts - still, our organization aims to serve many more. Going forward, we expect to double down on the grassroots impact of our University Chapters, Youth Fellowship, and Ambassador programs to create greater in-person engagement and amass a network of mental health advocates throughout the nation who are empowered to break down stigmas and uplift communities.

MannMukti aims to de-stigmatize conversations around mental health with South Asians and encourage them to get help they need. Studies have proven that South Asian immigrants are more likely to suffer from mental health issues than the general population, while also less likely to seek help for those services. Recent history in South Asia, from Partition to the Sri Lankan Civil War, combined with a culture that tends to value stoicism, has led to a population dealing with generational traumas and not seeking valuable help.

MannMukti addresses this problem through digital content, resources, and in-person activations to rewrite the narrative around South Asian mental health. MannMukti manages a database of South Asian mental health providers so individuals can access help from community providers they trust. We also publish mental health overview resources, podcasts, and story-telling experiences from real people to challenge conventional narratives of South Asian mental health. MannMukti marries this digital approach with in-person activations across America, including conversation groups, advocacy workshops, and peer support training. One example of this was the Healing Circle series we executed at the UCLA University Chapter to help LGBTQ+ youth process their sexuality and learn safe ways to counter transphobia amongst their families.

MannMukti’s innovation is evident in three areas: Our lean, cost-effective execution of mental health advocacy programs, our use of digital media to serve South Asians meaningfully, and our comprehensive provision of services to all South Asian populations.

Our operations are decentralized across University Chapters, Ambassadors, and volunteers across the country, encouraging volunteers to create bespoke, end-to-end mental health solutions for their local communities. None of our organization members are paid; this allows us to use all of our funds solely on mental health programming.

Therefore, our team is challenged to think creatively about how to use emerging technologies, such as live-streaming video / audio, social media, and digital content to serve those who need help. This grassroots volunteer structure helps us recruit volunteers who believe strongly in the mission. Our lean, digital-first operations allowed us to continue high impact programming for the past year and a half despite the pandemic.

Our DEI focus allows us to quickly and flexibly amplify voices typically silenced in the South Asian community. For example, we've begun reaching out to South Asian taxi drivers affected by COVID and racism to give voice to the struggles of this historically under-noticed demographic following Mohammed Anwar's death. 

MannMukti aims to ensure young South Asians never feel alone – that the issues they may be struggling with of financial health, identity, and sexuality are not challenges to face in isolation. We’ve created a coverage map across digital and in-person activations for each South Asian demographic – by sexuality, religion, country, and caste – and developed counseling sessions, meetups, speaker series, and curated resources to serve each of those demographics and needs individually. In some cases, our resources have directly de-escalated critical mental health episodes among recipients of our services.

Ensuring our target population doesn't feel alone requires embracing vulnerability and integrating intersectionality into our programming. Last year, MannMukti ran the ‘Brown, Queer, and Here’ campaign on social platforms and with University Chapters to publish the raw stories of LGBTQ+ South Asians marrying their ethnic identity with their sexuality via counseling sessions and social posts. This exemplifies our impact on humanity; we leverage omni-channel programming to re-write narratives around mental health and personal identity both in and around the South Asian community. In America, we're often categorized as a monolith, erasing the nuances integral to our diverse identities. At MannMukti, we confront this mold via diverse, inclusive programming.