El Cribo inaugurated its program of events for World Mental Health Day at El Fondeadero in Puerto del Carmen.
There are words that need to be heard. There are realities that need to be made visible. And there are causes that, more than speeches, require the unity, solidarity, and commitment of an entire society.
Mental health is one of them.
On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the El Cribo Mental Health Association, a non-profit organization founded in 1992 in Arrecife de Lanzarote and dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with mental health problems and their families, has organized a series of events open to all those who wish to join a celebration that aims, above all, to sensitize, raise awareness, and remind us that taking care of our minds is also taking care of our lives.
The first of these gatherings took place on the afternoon of last Tuesday, at 7:30 PM, at the El Fondeadero Civic Center in Puerto del Carmen.
And what better way to start than with music.
Under the beautiful title "Symphony for Mental Health," a choral gathering was held that turned this space into a point of union, shared emotions, and, above all, hope.
The official event began with welcoming remarks from the president of El Cribo, Rosa María González Betancort, who, visibly moved, addressed the audience, which included the Minister of Social Welfare of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Marciano Acuña, and the councilor for Social Welfare of the Tías City Council, Nicolás San Ginés.
Her first words served to set the true meaning of that afternoon:
"Today here, at El Fondeadero in Puerto del Carmen, we are celebrating the first event that, throughout this week, we will present in different venues for World Mental Health Day."
This year, the chosen slogan is "Make the Match with Mental Health," a call to join forces, to work collectively, and to promote measures that contribute to improving psychosocial and emotional well-being, especially among young people.
And behind the statistics, there are faces, stories, families, and dreams.
The president of El Cribo focused precisely on this youth who are going through particularly delicate times, given the worrying increase in anxiety disorders, depression, self-harm, and suicidal behaviors among adolescents and young people.
He recalled that a very important part of mental health problems begins before reaching adulthood, and stressed that these difficulties cannot be understood solely from an individual or clinical perspective.
The economic context, precariousness, the use of social networks, digital isolation, and uncertainty about the future also play a role.
Because being young should be, above all, a stage of opportunities.
A stage to discover who we are, to build dreams and projects, to make mistakes and try again. But it is also a period in which pressures related to studies, employment, housing, personal relationships, and autonomy itself arise.
Therefore, talking about youth mental health in the Canary Islands - as Rosa María González Betancort pointed out - also means talking about dignified living conditions, opportunities, community support, and political and social responsibility.
It means building protective, accessible environments together that are capable of supporting those who need it most.
And from that commitment, the president wanted to bring to the table a series of demands that should also be a collective commitment: prevention and promotion of mental health in educational, labor, and community settings; early and continuous socio-health care; dignified living conditions in terms of housing, employment, education, and autonomy; strengthening support networks and combating unwanted loneliness; healthy use of technology and prevention of cyberbullying; and, especially, incorporating the voice of young people in policies that directly affect their lives.
Words that went far beyond an institutional speech.
Words that spoke of people.
Of young people.
Of families.
Of a society that has the obligation not to look the other way.
And then the music arrived
After the welcome greeting, the El Fondeadero stage was transformed.
The moment arrived for "Sintonía por la Salud Mental" (Tuning in for Mental Health), a concert conceived with a beautiful purpose: to connect people through the power of music and to use that universal language as a tool for raising awareness about the importance of taking care of our mental health.
Because music also accompanies.
Music embraces when words cannot find the way. Music unites generations, breaks down distances, and manages, for a few moments, to make us all share the same emotion.
On stage were the choirs "El Cribo Canta" and "Voces de Tías", both under the direction of Professor Arnold Bonilla, who managed to lead an evening marked by variety and enthusiasm.
The repertoire went through different styles and memories with songs like "Tammy", "Llamarada", "La Bikina" and "Piel Canela", pieces that filled every corner of El Fondeadero with music.
But the most special moment was yet to come.
The two groups joined together to jointly offer "El Volcán", "Buenas América" and "Ovejita Negra".
Two choirs.
One voice.
One message.
And an audience that recognized the effort and sensitivity of all the participants with a long and well-deserved ovation.
Thus, amidst songs, applause, and shared emotions, this first event organized by the Mental Health Association El Cribo on the occasion of World Mental Health Day came to an end.
An afternoon to remember.
Perhaps that is the true essence of gatherings like the one experienced at El Fondeadero.
To remember that mental health concerns us all.
That no one should feel alone in the face of pain.
That asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but an act of bravery.
That behind every diagnosis there is a person with feelings, dreams, abilities, and the right to live with dignity.
And that, when a society decides to listen, accompany, and extend a hand, it is also building health.
That afternoon, in Puerto del Carmen, music played its part.
The voices of "El Cribo Canta" and "Voces de Tías" joined to give us songs, but also something much more important; a message of hope.
Because perhaps taking care of mental health is, on many occasions, something as simple - and as great - as letting someone know they are not alone.
And as the last notes faded and the applause brought the final touch to this first meeting, the feeling lingered in the air that it had not simply been an afternoon of music.
It had been an afternoon to feel, share, and become aware.
An afternoon to "match" with mental health.
And an afternoon to remember that, when our voices unite, they can always go much further.
El Cribo has thus paved the way. The first event is now part of memory. Now it is time to wait for the next chapters of this week dedicated to mental health, with the hope that each of them will manage to add new voices, new outstretched hands, and new hearts willing to listen.
Because mental health doesn't just need one day on the calendar
It needs every day of the year.
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