Jouwana

Final Update: July-September 2021

Hadi has made exciting progress on creating videos surrounding the topic of mental health in Arabic. The first episode on Anxiety has been drafted, with the focus now on modifying future episode scripts based on his reflections on what worked and did not work when producing the first episode. Particularly, it has been noted that there needs to be a simplification of academic jargon and thus a focus primarily on explaining concepts to viewers in a simplified way. It is recognised that the videos may take longer than initially expected to produce due to the level of research and production that is being put in. We are sure that this level of dedication will make Jouwana’s finalised videos even more engaging and innovative. We are very impressed with the draft episode on Anxiety we have been sent and cannot wait to see how the series progresses. Above is a photo Hadi has provided of the video shooting process.  

Update 2: April-June 2021

Since the last report on Hadi’s project, a lot of progress has been made. Most recently is the curation of a script for two planned episodes covering the topic of anxiety, as well as some designs for a possible YouTube channel logo.  

Hadi covers a wide range of topics in his video script including the importance of parental influence on mental health, the difference between daily worries and an anxiety disorder, and the importance of coping mechanisms. He has also worked on explaining the concept of the ‘fight or flight response’ as a natural phenomenon for humans when they encounter anxiety provoking situations. Hadi’s work is admirable, and his way of writing helps to show people they are not struggling alone. For example, he highlights that in 2015 there was a recorded 264 million people who suffered from anxiety.  

Moving on from the topic of anxiety causes and types, Hadi covers what people can do about their anxious feelings including coping techniques, how to express emotions in a healthy way, and how to begin breaking the cycle of anxious thoughts. He then lists a number of self-help resources to encourage viewers to continue researching the topic beyond the video. 

Hadi’s first episodes will be produced soon, and will certainly share a lot of knowledge and hope for people that they are not alone in their anxiety. His work shows that anxiety can result from many different things, and that there are realistic techniques we can use to help us combat our anxious thoughts.  

Update 1: February-March 2021

Hadi al-Thib received second place in the REF for his work surrounding mental health awareness in the ‘Middle East.’ Through his YouTube channel Jouwana, he will create videos in Arabic which are designed to reduce the stigma around concepts such as anxiety and trauma. As of now, Hadi has met multiple times with his mentor to identify which direction he hopes to go in to reach the desired end goal. From this a strategic board has been created which outlines the potential episode layouts, topics, and what is the desired outcome. For example, one video will outline the importance of self-care by relating to lived experiences of people and how changes can be made to achieve the overall goal of better self-awareness towards the necessity of self-care in promoting good mental health. They have also identified together the risk factors that may cause mental health problems and how these escalate to the need for viable solutions and better societal awareness of the mental health factors and impacts that can be present in the people around us, although sometimes not inherently visible. 

Following on from this initial episode outline generated, there are plans in progress to script the first episode and purchase the equipment necessary to film such a video. The project will be supported by Instagram content to encourage viewership and a new logo is in the process of creation to make Jouwana more easily recognisable. For anyone interested in the videos, here is a link to the Youtube channel.  

We are excited to see Hadi’s great ideas and swift progress come to life on the platform to educate on better mental health awareness.