Dr. Ng-Cusi founded Body Banter, a registered charity based in Hong Kong that focuses on engaging youth in conversations about body image and mental health with courage and curiosity.
Body Banter began in 2016 when Stephanie was a student in the United States. Having grown up in Hong Kong, she was driven by her own struggles with body image and an eating disorder during her teenage years, as well as the challenges she faced in accessing support. These experiences inspired her to pursue a degree in psychology to better understand and articulate what she had gone through. Building on this, she began leading peer-based conversations in schools and universities to educate young people and improve confidence around body image and mental health.
Since it was established as a registered charity, Body Banter has reached over 5,000 students in Hong Kong, working with 10 school partners to deliver talks and workshops on body image and mental health topics. The charity also runs youth mentorship and leadership training programmes, supporting over 100 student advocates with the skills and confidence to carry out body image advocacy projects in their communities. Advocates are trained in project planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Stephanie attended the 2023 Summit in Belfast, where she was a Delegate Speaker for the Mental Health Plenary Challenge, sharing her personal journey, speaking about her struggles with body image as a teenager, and how this experience led to the creation of Body Banter. The Summit also provided her with the opportunity to connect with Ambassadors leading their own initiatives, allowing her to build a global network of like-minded individuals working to address mental health challenges.
“Being one of the Delegate Speakers gave me the opportunity to share my personal story and experiences. What I valued most about the summit was connecting with people who are creating their own initiatives and working to better understand the body image landscape in Hong Kong.”
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