“Sanad”...a project that aims to raise community awareness of mental health
22 young women and men participated in a training program to build
their capacities in mental health advocacy
Alaa,
a young Palestinian woman from Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
Through the women’s association “Not to Forget”, which is active in the camp
and aims to alleviate the psychological, educational, and social suffering of
refugee women and children, Alaa joined the “Sanad” project for community
awareness of mental health, which is implemented by the YWCA of Palestine, in partnership with the Belgian Development
Agency (Enabel) and funded by the Belgian Government.
Alaa participated in a
training program within the project aimed at empowering young women and men,
building their capacities in the field of alliance and advocacy for mental
health and community participation, and building and planning community
awareness campaigns on the issue of mental health, to contribute to societal
change and break the stigma associated with mental health illness.
In light of the current
circumstances in Palestine, the need to stimulate psychological support-seeking
behavior among young people is increasing, based on the importance of mental
health.
Alaa says that the
training was very enjoyable and useful, and through it she gained new
information and was able to transfer knowledge and information more clearly and
accurately to her peers.
"I learned how
to break barriers correctly and clearly, how to deal with cases that need
psychological support, in addition to how to communicate with my association
and other centers in the surrounding community, and the mechanism for planning
joint campaigns to raise awareness of mental health." She added.
Twenty-two young women
and men from the project’s target localities in the West Bank participated in
the training program: Tammoun Town, south of Tubas; Dura Town, south of Hebron;
the Jahalin Arab community, southeast of Jerusalem; the Jalazoun refugee camp
north of Ramallah; the Jenin refugee camp in Jenin; and Al-Amari refugee camp
in Ramallah.
Amira
(25 years old), from the “Social and Psychology Development Association” in
Jalazoun Refugee Camp, says that she benefited from the training on both
personal and social levels, and it had a positive impact on her ideas and
interactions with herself and the others in her life.
“I learned new
things from the stories that my colleagues shared during the training days.”
She stated.
The “Sanad” project
aims to increase Palestinian youth’s awareness of the importance of mental
health and strategies for seeking help within their communities, reduce the
stigma associated with mental health illness, enhance cooperation and
coordination between relevant stakeholders, including institutions working in
the field of mental health and psychosocial support, the Ministry of Health,
and partner grassroots institutions, and positively influence decision-makers
to encourage appropriate responses to youth needs in the field of mental health
and psychosocial support.
The project consists of various activities and training, meetings and dialogue sessions, an awareness campaign, and motivational initiatives and events.