Name: Total Life Enhancement Centre Ghana (TOLEC GH)
The organisational development concept was conceived on the 15/5/16. This was with the aim to talk to people about mental health and the need to understand health beyond the physical concept of health that most Ghanaians experience (holistic health). As a health professional I have noticed that that the Ghanaian health system had not received much investment into mental health leaving many to understand health as only physical health. Preparing to begin my studies as a student of clinical health psychology in one of the universities in Ghana, I felt challenged after several readings and listening to news across the country to put to use the understanding of health in totality as it is captured in the world health organisation’s (WHO) definition of health in 1948.
Having worked in the Ghanaian health system for over a decade in a deprived and low income area of the country, the need was so urgent and unturnable as many of the patients who I encountered I discovered they needed more than what the available health system is providing but there was little capacity in this area of health. For this reason thoughts of establishing an organisation like Total Life Enhancement Centre Ghana (TOLEC GH) to assist the vulnerable individuals and their families in this resource constraint part of Ghana to achieve and experience holistic health became impretive.
Asked what was my motivation for enrolling in a clinical health psychology program by my course co-ordinator, my response was “to help myself and my community”
The under experience and attainment of the definition of health by WHO in 1948 and couple with the Ghanaian situation of lack of mental health professional (Psychologist, Psychiatrists, Nurses etc) in the health system fuelled the set-up of this organisation.
The northern part of Ghana have limited psychologists, psychiatrists (mental health workers ) to offer services to patients due to limited human resource and infrastructural/ logistics challenges makes the organisation relevant in our Ghanaian health system to help create awareness and provide mental health services to the general population. Also the slow/snail pace implementation of the mental health Act, Act 846 2012, which sought to provide access to primary care for mental health and to provide mental health facilities in deprived part of the country served as a motivation/ an energy for the start of this organisation.
The name of the organisation have seen various amendment to its final name; Life Enhancement Centre( LEC), Enhancement Centre For Life (ECL) to Total Life Enhancement Centre Ghana (TOLEC, GH) on the 28/07/2017. The motto also started from; life must be enjoyed, man need man to enhance life, collectivism and finally psychology & more, implying if we put our individual resources together life can be better for all.
The background above have actually led to the development of objectives/aims, vision, mandate, target groups, and different programmes among others to contribute to solving the mental health challenges and unemployment situations of the country led to the final registration of the organisation with the registered general department of Ghana to give it the legal backing to operate.
The organisation will work in awareness creation / preventive intervention to help people to live a meaningful life/ achieve holistic health to attain their potentials.
Contact address
- Total Life Enhancement Centre Ghana (TOLEC-GH)
- P. O. Box TL 2687.
- Tamale, Ghana.
- Tel: +233208545476/+233242381961
- Email: tolec13@gmail.com or tolec13@yahoo.com