REPSSI’s Restoring Children’s and Young Peoples Lost Aspiration
In Zambia, children and young people aged 5-24 face social issues like poverty, violence, unemployment and limited access to mental health services, affecting their well-being. REPSSI addresses this by providing mental health and psychosocial support, fostering resilience through interventions like counseling, life skills training, and community-based care programs.
OUR PROGRAMMING
The REPSSI’s Restoring Children’s and Young Peoples Lost Aspiration, Integrity and Mental well-being (ReCLAIM) Project aims to enhance community capacity to support children and young people aged 5 to 24 facing mental health challenges. We addresses stigma and discrimination through mental health awareness campaigns, facilitating referrals to strengthen mental health services, particularly in correctional facilities. The project identifies children with mental health issues, providing home-based care and support within the community. Additionally, we work to improve the policy environment for children's mental health in Zambia.
Project Approach
The ReCLAIM Project uses a community-centered approach to enhance mental health support for children and young people. Key community stakeholders, including caregivers, civic leaders, religious and traditional leaders, are mobilized to disseminate information on mental health, prevent stigma, and create environments conducive to mental health and psychosocial well-being. The project also trains a core team of resource persons, including teachers, health workers, and social workers, who play a central role in implementing interventions. These interventions focus on mental health awareness, stigma prevention, and fostering help-seeking behavior among children and young people.
Capacity Building and Training
REPSSI has continued to deliver accredited mental health training to 186 core team members. These resource persons include teachers, social workers, health workers, and correctional officers, who are enrolled in a diploma course in child and adolescent mental health. Additionally, 192 community-based implementers, trained in an accredited certificate program, are actively engaged in community-level mental health promotion and prevention activities. The training program was developed in collaboration with mental health experts and accredited by the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA). Universities like Chalimbana and Levy Mwanawasa Medical University have shown interest in adopting the curriculum, further ensuring the sustainability of the mental health training efforts.
Interventions for Beneficiaries
The ReCLAIM Project has reached 13,000 children and young people through various mental health interventions. Activities include:
- Mental health awareness and stigma prevention
- Life skills sessions and support groups (including inmates)
- Play and sports programs promoting mental health
- Counseling services
- Facilitated referrals to appropriate mental health services
- Radio-based mental health conversations through interactive listener clubs