SISTERS ON A MISSION
TraumAssist Started with two sisters, Sajeeka Jeyakumar and Ajouka Jeyakumar, who have always had a selfless passion for helping those in need. They geared this aspiration towards medical school, where Sajeeka has accomplished her MD and Ajouka trailing not too far behind from achieving hers. Although these two women have always had a passion within the medical field, it was a horrendous occurrence that had sparked the need to form this organization focusing on Mental Health – The Nepal earthquake of April 25th 2015.
Ajouka had gone to Nepal a few days prior to the earthquake on a medical missionary trip and was in the midst of it all when the earthquake occurred. With the sudden impact and magnitude of damage it had caused, medical assistance was scarce within local regions and from outside sources. Right away, the two sisters formed a GoFundMe charity titled Love For Nepal 2015, where all proceeds went directly towards the affected Nepalese population for medical supplies, surgeries and daily necessities.
Following her return, Sajeeka visited Nepal’s post-disaster state with a mission to provide mental health assistance and awareness. While Sajeeka was in Nepal, she visited schools, orphanages, a women’s support group and a nursing college. Here, she conducted presentations, lectures and exercises on post-traumatic stress related to natural disasters. With her visit being three months after the initial earthquake, she was shocked to discover that for most of the youth she had spoken to in the schools, this had been the first time they had openly discussed the traumatic event. This experience only strengthened the conviction of severe marginalization of mental health awareness in developing countries.
While Sajeeka was in Nepal, she continued the Love For Nepal 2015 charity and rose funding that went directly to the schools, orphanages and women’s support group. Upon returning back to Canada, The sisters got together and realized that more is needed; more for Nepal and the rest of the developing countries that face devastating events. They require assistance and the need to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder – the birth of TraumAssist.