How can funders do more and do better for community-based mental health? Join the discussion in Ember's live webinar!
Jun 07, 2022
On Wednesday 15 June at 2pm, we’ll be hosting a live webinar featuring a stellar line-up of speakers who are working at the forefront of mental health around the world. The topic on the table: how can funders and international partners help community-based mental health organisations in the Global South to thrive?
Register here!
A few months ago 128 organisations in our network responded to a survey about their experiences of seeking funding for your work in mental health. The results confirmed what we already know: there are a huge number of challenges in this area, particularly for community-based organisations. There aren’t enough funding opportunities, application processes take up huge amounts of time and energy, and what funding there is tends to go to larger organisations with more resources.
As Ember, we think that too often the burden of this problem is put upon the people and organisations working to implement mental health projects. In fact, there are lots of things that could and should be changed in the funding system, so the task of changing it also lies with funders.
That’s why, in this webinar, some of Ember's community partners will share their insights on what support and resources are necessary to enable their organisations to grow and thrive long-term. In other words: how could funders do more and do better?
Who’s the webinar for you ask? It's for all funders and philanthropists working in mental health, or interested in becoming involved in this area, but it’s also for researchers, practitioners, activists, implementers and people with lived experience.
Speakers
Giselle Das, Children, Adolescent and Family Services (CAFS), Sri Lanka
CAFS has been Giselle’s dream ever since she returned to Sri Lanka in 2015 after completing her MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at King’s College London, prior to which she held a BSc in Psychology and Counselling. CAFS is a not-for-profit organisation which provides an inclusive and secure space developed with love and care where children, adolescents, adults and their families experiencing mental health problems, stigma and isolation can access high-quality care and support.
Iregi Mwenja, PDO Kenya
Iregi Mwenja is the founder of PDO Kenya, a user-led community-based mental health organization operating from Nakuru, Kenya. It was formed and is run by mental health lived experience experts and clinicians. PDO Kenya is driven by a passion for promoting mental wellness and assisting those affected to recover in dignity within their community. It is also youth-focused and youth-led.
Vongayi Munatsi, Renewal Trust, Zimbabwe
Vongai Munatsi is registered Clinical psychologist who lives and works in Harare, Zimbabwe. She has a master’s in Clinical Psychology from the University of Cape Town. She is the Director at Renewal Trust, a non-profit, community-based organization that supports people with mental health challenges. Renewal Trust has developed Positive Konnections, a tech-enabled support programme for young people living with HIV and experiencing hardship.
Yvonne Gache, Green String Network, Kenya
Yvonne Gache is a trained counselling psychologist actively practicing critical psychology. She leads on curriculum development for Green String Network (GSN) based in Nairobi, Kenya. GSN’s programmes create opportunities for people currently in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan at the most local level to learn about the effects of trauma, begin to heal, and come together as a community to plan community-wide activities and structures to support further healing, and reconciliation. In practice, this involves developing context-specific materials designed to teach participants about the effects of trauma and provide a safe environment for them to share about how violence impacts their own lives.
Moderator: Georgina Miguel Esponda, Ember Mental Health, Mexico/UK
We look forward to seeing you there.