Have you ever felt sad, or alone, without understanding why? I remember being a kid and saying those exact words to my mom. Her response was “what is there to be sad about?”. In retrospect I know her dismissive nature wasn’t from a lack of love. She’s from a place where cultural stigmas make it impossible to have those conversations. And there’s no simple solution, but I believe part of the answer is maintaining a platform to educate, and support one another. Without the body and mind working in harmony, we are nothing.

In March, I’ll be trekking 100km to 12,300ft through the Andes Mountains with HSBC colleagues from around the world. We’re aiming to raise $350,000 toward mental health charities around the world. I have chosen the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York (NAMI).

Their mission is to help families and individuals affected by mental illness build better lives through education, support, and advocacy.

They’re on ground advocating for:

• improved services for people with mental illness and their families
• the allocation of more resources for research into neurobiological disorders and comprehensive, accessible treatment options

Thank you for your support.