Hello All,

My Favorite Bit of Information From The Week:

In honor of International Women’s Day, I was doing some research on how mental health affects women specifically. Two topics stuck out to me:

1.This amazing group, based out of Kenya called PPD KENYA.The article below, and the organization as a whole, draws attention to the important fact that even though mental health does not discriminate and affects all genders equally, the mental illnesses themselves (and the causes that push them to run rampant) are very different depending on your gender. 

2. The high levels of domestic abuse that occur against women, and the causes that make it so rampant in our culture. 

Brief Description of PPD Kenya: Postpartum Depression Kenya (abbreviated PPDKenya) is a registered community-based organization in Kiambu County. It was formed to create awareness and reduce the stigma linked to Postpartum Depression (PPD) and other perinatal mood disorders, as well as offer psychosocial support for affected moms and their families.
PPDKenya was formed by persons who have lived with Postpartum Depression, counseling psychologists, as well as individuals who are passionate about maternal mental health. This team is fueled by the passion to sensitize the community on maternal mental illness and help make a difference.
An article on understanding women’s mental health from PPD Kenya: (Excellent information for all genders): http://ppdkenya.com/international-womens-day-understanding-womens-mental-health/

Check out this Ted Talk for a break down on domestic violence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1yW5IsnSjo

Also, see the bottom of his E-mail for more resources if you or someone you know is suffering from Domestic Abuse. 

I would like to draw to light the fact that countries with higher gender equality don’t deal with domestic violence, it’s almost non-existent. Women also have higher depression and anxiety in the United States than men, which is believed that this is brought on by high impossible standards, and a constant undervaluing of women that takes a tole over the span of a life. 
If you are curious to know more about what causes violence against women, check out this article here with the World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women

Update on my Show: 

So, I found out this past week that I did not receive any grant money. While disappointed, I feel this brings on three great positives for the project. 1. More time to incubate and polish the project. 2. I will actually be 30 when I get to play Hamlet (It is believed that this is Hamlet’s true age in the play). 3. More time to care for my own mental health while creating the show – very important!
However, this does mean that the production dates will have to be pushed back to Winter 2019 or Spring 2020 – depending on how fundraising goes. 
I will keep you posted!

Thank You: Thank you VERY much to all who have donated thus far, making this project possible. 

Ways to Support: If you would like to donate to my show, share this project with a friend, or find out more about it please check out my gofundme here: https://www.gofundme.com/one-woman-hamlet

Resources

New Resources From Last Week:

Domestic Violence is a real physical and mental health threat that many women face. Please check out the National Domestic Hotline for help if you or someone you know may be suffering;https://www.thehotline.org/contact/

All my best and heart to you, 

-Kate