When Markets Don’t Pause: Mental Health in Aba Market
Executive Summary
On 25 September 2026, the Aba Market Women Inclusive and Empowerment was held at Aba Market, Abia State. This joint community outreach was hosted by the Gutsy Women Network with support from partners including Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation, Fidelity Bank Plc, Solaris Energy, NAPTIP, and the Abia State Government. This report documents CALMHAF’s participation.
The programme was designed to recognise the experiences and economic contributions of market women, while providing practical empowerment materials, financial education, and mental health awareness. The Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation(CALMHAF) was there to handle the mental health component of the outreach.
The event was well received. Participants were engaged, responsive, and enthusiastic throughout the programme.
Targeted Participation
The participation of the Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation in the joint outreach integrated mental health awareness into a community empowerment programme serving market women. CALMHAF’s objective was to help participants understand how daily financial, family, work, and market-related pressures affect mental wellbeing; reduce stigma around seeking support; and share practical coping strategies that can strengthen both personal health and business stability.
The outreach aligned with CALMHAF’s mandate to take mental health education into everyday community settings, particularly among women whose economic roles expose them to high levels of stress with limited access to formal support.
CALMHAF’s Evidence Based Method
The CALMHAF team engaged market women on the relationship between mental health and the pressures of daily trading and family life. Key messages included:
Understanding mental health in the context of financial strain, family responsibility, market competition, difficult customers, fatigue, and health concerns.
The importance of awareness, including early recognition of warning signs and informed decisions about wellbeing.
Recognition of warning signs, such as persistent worry, tiredness, loss of interest, isolation, feelings of hopelessness, and the impact of poor sales on emotional health.
Healthy coping practices, including speaking with a trusted person, rest, physical activity, protecting personal peace, and seeking professional help when needed.
Stigma reduction, emphasizing that seeking help is not a sign of weakness and that mental health concerns are not the same as being “mad.”
Equal priority for mental wellbeing, encouraging participants to treat mental health with the same seriousness given to sales, stock, and profit, because stable mental health supports more balanced living and work.
Participants were also introduced to our toll-free number (08000002673) for continued professional mental health support.
Highlights and Observations
Market women participated attentively and responded positively to the support provided by the host and partners.
Participants received practical information on savings and indispensable mental health practices relevant to both business growth and daily life.
• Empowerment items distributed at the event included generators, grinding machines, sewing machines, solar-powered bulbs and fans, and market aprons. Several bank accounts were also opened while NAPTIP contributed information on human trafficking prevention as part of the broader empowerment programme.
Conclusion
CALMHAF’s participation in the Gutsy Women Network outreach in Aba provided an opportunity to place mental health education alongside financial inclusion, skills support, and anti-trafficking awareness for market women.
The Foundation was able to introduce key mental health messages, encourage help-seeking, and reinforce the link between wellbeing and sustainable livelihood. The engagement confirmed the value of embedding mental health awareness within economic empowerment programmes serving women in informal market settings.
Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation was represented at the event by volunteers Ifeoma Nwafor R., Eunice Edson, and Resource Centre Manager Precious Nwodo.
Prepared By: Ifeoma Nwafor R., (Volunteer)