In Uganda we have:
- Trained 2,000 community members in trauma counselling skills; these lay counsellors have supported 13,000 people suffering from mental health problems.
- Trained 24 community counsellors. They have advanced training in trauma counseling and its related behaviour (e.g. alcohol abuse, domestic and sexual violence, depression and suicide). They offer individual counselling to trauma victims, and their respected status in the community makes them effective conduits of information about health, nutrition, family planning and women’s rights. Each year, the counsellors work with 5,000 people.
- Trained 24 community counsellors in HIV counselling to support HIV+ people, helping them come to terms with their diagnosis and adhere to the right medical protocol (e.g. antiretroviral drugs).
In Rwanda we have:
- Set up a programme to provide mental health support to 250 young survivors of the genocide who are suffering from PTSD, anxiety and depression. This pilot is being expanded to reach another 300 genocide orphans.
In Sierra Leone we have:
- Trained 30 head teachers, 28 police officers, 21 local councillors, 28 religious leaders, 21 traditional leaders and 28 chiefs and “mammy queens” in how to identify mental health issues and refer people to available services.
- Produced radio broadcasts, communicating messages to raise awareness about mental health problems, their symptoms and how to help those suffering from them.
- Registered 429 people with mental health problems and/or epilepsy for counselling.