Background

Health is unarguably important for the long-term well being of any individual. While physical health helps bodies to stay strong, energetic and agile, an individual’s mental wellbeing is equally important as it helps in building confidence, enhancing creativity, and in enabling efficient decision-making. According to the World Health Organisation, mental health can be defined as a state of mind in which the individual is able to realise his or her own abilities, cope with the day-to-day stresses of life, work productively and contribute to his or her community. To put it simply, mental health forms the foundation of individual well-being and is therefore equally important for the effective functioning of a community.

Particularly for children, their early experiences lay the foundations for healthy mental development within the developing brain. The disruption of this developmental process can have lifelong effects on a child's ability to learn and relate to others. The way we can ensure children's holistic health and make sure they have positive experiences and relationships during their early years, can pave the way for them to grow up healthy and thrive. The purpose of Helping Hands is to facilitate such experiences through alternate therapeutic practices that prioritise mental wellbeing as a critical foundation for proper development among children.