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December 10, 2018 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm UTC+0
Dear colleague,
MHPSS.net and REPSSI were pleased to host the webinar “Community Based MHPSS in Practice: Voices from East and Southern Africa”on 10th December 2018, with presentations from Sibusisiwe Marunda (REPSSI) and Jude Okeria (TPO Uganda) and moderation from Ananda Galappatti (MHPSS.net).
To watch the webinar recording, please click here.
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About the webinar:
Following the recent webinars on the recently launched UNICEF Operational Guidelines on Community-Based MHPSS in Humanitarian Settings that provide a framework that emphasizes engaging children, adolescents, caregivers, families & community service providers at all levels, this webinar featured the experiences of front-line professionals in East and Southern Africa (ESA) in community-based MHPSS. The webinar focused specifically on a community based psychosocial approach to ending child marriage and on approaches to engage community members on the links between mental health and post conflict recovery. The presenters explored the processes of community engagement, systems strengthening and integration across sectors through examples from the region. Presenters also reflected on how to tackle contextual and cultural challenges in working to achieve sustainable, high-quality MHPSS programmes and engaged participants on their own experiences and views related to the implementation and management of Community Based MHPSS programs.
About the presenters:
Sibusisiwe Marunda is the REPSSI Zimbabwe Country Director. Her career has involved heading the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe secretariat, where she coordinated the women’s movement building to push for meaningful implementation of the gender responsive Zimbabwe Constitution. She also worked at the National AIDS Council as the National OVC Coordinator. She had joined NAC from the Child Protection Society where, as Advocacy Manager for 4 years, she led the campaign for a child’s right to a name and a nationality at birth. Prior to CPS she had served the Parliament of Zimbabwe as Principal Committee Officer for 8 years. In this role she was responsible for procedural advice to legislators and facilitating civil society access to Parliament. Her working life had begun in the teaching field where she served as History and Language teacher. Sibusisiwe holds a Masters in Public Policy and Governance from Africa University. Her passion is in social justice and she expresses this passion by, among other things, writing opinion pieces for the Zimbabwe local print media. She has written on a variety of issues around women and children’s human rights. Sibusisiwe is currently studying for a Bachelor of Law Degree with the University of South Africa.
Jude Okeria stands with a wealth of over 13 years’ experience working in humanitarian situations, implementing programmes with Non-Governmental Organizations in mental health and psychosocial support, child protection, prevention and response to gender based violence with profound understanding of human rights issues, sustainable development goals and guiding principles in an emergency/conflict context. Jude has garnered expertise in the following: networking with key stakeholders, capacity development for partners & community groups through trainings, participatory research, monitoring and evaluation, participatory approaches in working with communities on MHPSS, gender based violence and child protection strategies. Currently, he is a Project Coordinator with TPO Uganda, supporting community based mental health and psychosocial program in Gulu, Uganda. Jude’s key qualifications and other training include the following: MA Candidate in Public Health Leadership (UCU, Hons-(BACE) Kyambogo University, Uganda); Diploma in Community Development; Training in Advocacy (Sheila McKechnie Foundation); Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Trauma Focus; Professional Practice Certificate in Child Protection (MUK/TPO/MoGLSD); Monitoring and Evaluation (IDF-Kampala); Participatory Approaches to Program Design and Development (UMI Kla); Project Planning and Management (Save the Children); Natural Medicine (Anamed International); Elementary Training on Reflexology (Action Aid).
About the Moderator:
Ananda Galappatti is a medical anthropologist and a practitioner in the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in situations of humanitarian crisis and adversity. His work over the past 20 years has been concerned with improving access to knowledge and skills, building collaborative networks and enhancing coherence within the field in Sri Lanka and also globally. Ananda was a co-founder of the journal Intervention and continues to serve on its editorial board. He is a co-founder and co-Director of the MHPSS.net online platform. Ananda is also a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo. In 2010, Ananda co-founded The Good Practice Group, a social business for the development of MHPSS services, and he serves as its honorary Director for strategy. He is currently a Technical Advisor on Psychosocial Support to GIZ Sri Lanka. In 2008, Ananda received a Ramon Magsaysay Award for his work in the field of MHPSS intervention in emergencies. He was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2011.
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This webinar falls under the East and Southern Africa MHPSS Community of Practice, which is currently being initiated by REPSSI and MHPSS.net together with other colleagues and organisations in the field. This Community of Practice (CoP) is focused on humanitarian and development MHPSS programming in the ESA region. It aims to promote the connection between practitioners and organisations working in the field to improve the sharing of knowledge, to foster discussions aiming at improving different aspects of programming and to provide a platform that offers different opportunities for learning and exchange (i.e., webinars, newsletters, etc). For more information about how to get involved with the emerging ESA MHPSS CoP, please contact Vania Alves via email, at mhpss.net@repssi.org.
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Further information about the webinar:If you have any queries regarding the webinar, please contact Renata Reali via e-mail at renata@mhpss.net or via WhatsApp at +55 11 99815-4597.If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording will be later uploaded to the MHPSS.net YouTube channel and a link to this will also be posted on the MHPSS.net online platform.We hope to see you in the webinar room!
– the MHPSS.net Team –
