Batyr visit

Batyr was an elephant Born in 1970 in Kazakhstan who was able to ‘speak’ about 20 human-sounding phrases. Batyr connects with the phrase; giving voice to the ‘elephant’ in the room (mental health).

Inspired by the elephant, Batyr has been running school-based programs directly targeting stigma and help-seeking for almost six years now. There has been a plethora of anecdotal and qualitative evidence collected internally, and an Impact Report completed by Dr Alyssa Milton in 2016 concluded that the programs are having a positive impact on improved attitudes relating to recovery and empowerment and on the likelihood of students seeking help.

On Wednesday 11/10/23 Saint Ignatius hosted the presenters of Batyr; Hannah, Ash, Lucia, and Keisha. Keisha so bravely shared her story of mental health across the year levels of 9 and 10 during periods 1 to 4. This story delved into this person’s way of overcoming the barriers of depression and impactful life events that shaped this person into who they are today. This story reached students on a conscious level of understanding that others may be experiencing similar issues of depression and anxiety. We hope this expands students level of openness and acceptance to have these uncomfortable conversations more often.

A massive thanks to Batyr for providing our students with such an informative session. May they continue to have a beneficial impact on the world

From The Wellbeing Team