The Women to Women Program: A Mental Health Haven for Women in Nakuwadde
WHAT IS THE WOMEN TO WOMEN PROGRAM?
We identified that women in the community are faced with various social and economic challenges that have a toll on their mental well-being and created this program to create a supportive community for them and offer them professional Mental Health and Psychological Support (MHPS).
The Women to Women program is a community development activity started by Action in Africa (AIA) in 2016. Every Friday morning, women in Nakuwadde meet over breakfast provided by AIA. They are offered mental health and psychological support from the AIA Counsellor, and receive vocational skills training. Guest speakers often visit to engage the women in thoughtful dialogue around various topics, and members partake in the many additional opportunities offered as part of this program.
THE NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR WOMEN IN UGANDA
A joint study conducted by Butabika Hospital and Makerere University in Uganda in 2023 found that more women are battling severe anxiety and depression than their male counterparts, of the 2,067 people sampled, 39% of the women suffered severe anxiety, against 24% of males whereas when it came to depression, 12.6% were still women and 5% men. Women serve a peculiar role in the Nakuwadde community and Uganda in general. They carry the burden of providing for their family’s financial and psychological needs while facing harsh cultural stereotypes. Yet in Uganda, there are barely any Mental Health and Psychological Support services.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Mental and Psychological challenges are very difficult to deal with because of their nature. In the first place, it is difficult for people to understand that they are having such challenges, and when they do, it is very easy to brush them off as normal life troubles. Yet when not effectively dealt with, simple worry could turn into clinical depression. Often they are not effectively dealt with because it is difficult to make mental health services available to everyone in Uganda. The solution is empowering communities to identify and tackle them. The members of the Women to Women community have grown to support each other in the best way.
“Since I joined the Women to Women program, I know that I have a community of women to support me when times are bad,” said Mastura one of the program participants.
This community and circle of support that meets every Friday is a strand of hope for many of these women, they feel extremely empowered to forge ahead despite the social challenges they face. For the last year, Women to Women sessions have had a consistent attendance of over 30 women every Friday, and that number often goes up to 70 women. The lessons and tips shared on dealing with mental psychological problems are used by these women to help other women in the community as well as their own families.
“Some women, you find, have no friends in the neighbourhood, but when they come here they can build a strong social network,” said Juliana Nakavuma, Women to Women’s program coordinator.
THE PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING SESSION
In every Women to Women session, the AIA community counsellor facilitates a discussion with the women which involves sharing of challenges that the participants are facing. The counsellor then guides the women on how they can deal with their challenges with consideration to their mental health.
“I used to be very anxious and lacked the confidence to speak in public. But since I joined the Women to Women program and started taking part in the discussions, I am no longer anxious, and I can speak up for myself,” said Mahirwa Annet.
The AIA counsellor is a mental health professional, whose role is to guide women in dealing with their challenges in a healthy way. Usually, they also conduct an educational session on a given social topic, the topic helps women adopt more optimistic perspectives on how to deal with physiological challenges.
THE WOMEN TO WOMEN PROGRAM OFFERS MUCH MORE
The Women to Women program is more than a breakfast meeting. Besides the MHPS support that the women receive, they are also empowered with various vocational skills. They have been taught how to make liquid soap, energy-efficient cooking stoves, and briquettes (blocks of cooking fuel made from recycled charcoal and biomass). The products from these skills are used by the women both in their homes and at times, they can sell them to increase their household income.
