RICHMOND, Va. -- One man is on a mission to help those who live in communities impacted by violent crime learn how to value themselves and interact with one another in a healthy manner.
By day, he's a chemist working in a lab. But on the weekends, you'll find this Richmond man leading with a servant's heart.
Kwame Acheapong is on a mission to share the formula for emotional wellness. He does that by offering free sessions for those who are in need, drawing on expertise he gained studying leadership and community support in Singapore.
"So the class focuses on how to build emotional strength and we focus on high self-esteem and having quality relationships that help you have strong emotional strength," Acheapong said. "The second part deals with stress management, anxiety and grief, and the things you go through. Lastly, we talk about things to avoid, like the need to perform to impress others."
Kwame said with the pressure and stress brought on by the pandemic, economic challenges and seemingly unprecedented violence in Richmond, what he and his team at the nonprofit Gifted NGO provide is critical.
"Things are going out of control and we believe all of the shootings and all of the out-of-control anger are because people haven't been given the skills to handle their emotions, especially when they're negative," Acheapong said.
He said opening his doors for free classes is helping people get on a path to better mental health. The end goal is to get participants to see that they have value.
"Once you understand that you have intrinsic worth, we call that the emotional seatbelt. Meaning that your life is not based on who accepts you or rejects you, but you have a full understanding that you are valuable as an individual. So we focus on these things to help people cope," Acheapong said.
The next free Emotional Wellness class will be held at 2:00 pm on July 9 at 4909 Augusta Avenue in Richmond.
To register for the course, go to Eventbrite.com.
