Gede Research Assistants & Catholic Relief Services/SMILE Team Trained

As our regular readers will already know, Gede Foundation signed a 6 month research contract with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Nigeria/ Sustainable Mechanisms for Improved Livelihoods and Household Empowerment (SMILE) project in May 2016. The contract is focused on delivering an approach to community based detection, treatment and referral services for vulnerable children with mental health and psychosocial problems and their caregivers. Pending the beginning of the research, Gede Foundation and CRS held a 7-day training which ran from the 15th to the 23rd of June 2016.

The training was conducted by the Principal Investigator to the project, Dr. Bonnie Kaiser who is a post-doctoral fellow at Duke University. She has vast experience in research and conducts global mental health research with a focus on cultural aspects of measurement, communication and intervention design. The training participants included four research assistants and two members from CRS/SMILE. 

The training was both highly technical and extremely interactive. Topics covered include Research Basis, Introduction to Mental health and Resilience, Introduction to Qualitative and Quantitative Research, Ethics, Interviewing Practice, Focus Group Discussions and Survey Data Collection. After each topic, the participants had practice questions or interviewed some volunteers from Gede Foundation. 

To test their overall readiness, participants were introduced to Focus Group Discussions with children from Mpape, one of the SMILE communities in the Federal Capital Territory. The FGDs went well and gave the participants a feel of what lies ahead of them. 

The research will commence in 2 weeks and will run for 6 months. It is our belief that this project is groundbreaking in the area of mental health among children and that it will help scores of children and caregivers to be more open and resilient, as well as helping the children to grow into mentally sound adults.

GEDE SIGNS A 6 MONTH RESEARCH CONTRACT WITH CRS Nigeria

Gede Foundation has been working to uphold the welfare of Nigerian children for more than a decade now through its education and skills acquisition projects.  We are happy to announce that Gede has just signed a research contract with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Nigeria to broaden its support for Nigerian children.

CRS has awarded Gede Foundation a research grant in Developing an Approach To Community-Based Detection, Treatment and Referral Services for Vulnerable Children with Mental Health and Psychosocial Problems and their Caregivers. The grant is under the USAID funded Sustainable Mechanism for Improving Livelihood and Household Empowerment in Nigeria (SMILE) project and will last for 6 months.  

The purpose of the research is to develop and validate locally appropriate screening tools for mental health conditions in order to inform an intervention aimed at reducing the impact of mental health conditions among vulnerable children served by the SMILE project. Recent research from Ghana has shown that the psychosocial support given to OVC needs to be tailored to their specific mental health challenges which, in turn, need to be screened in ways which are appropriate to their circumstances.

Gede Foundation and CRS hope that this research project will serve as catalyst in the delivery of appropriate mental health services to children in Nigeria, for we believe that mentally healthy children will eventually grow into generally healthy and sound leaders of the country. 

Gede Foundation makes great strides as first Nigerian social franchisee

The following article appeared on BasicNeeds Uk website

In the three months since the Gede Foundation joined the BasicNeeds ‘family’ as a social franchisee they have made great progress, meeting and inspiring many local stakeholders including the Nigerian Minister of Health!

In Mpape and Mararaba, the two communities in which Gede is piloting the implementation of the BasicNeeds Model, highly successful introduction meeting with the local Chiefs have taken place, and ten passionate community-based volunteers recruited and trained. Consultation meetings have also been held – in order to listen to, and understand the experiences, needs and aspirations of people living with mental illness and epilepsy, ensuring the project design and implementation is built on, and led by the voice of affected people.

The initiative has also been endorsed and supported by many local stakeholders; churches, mosques and self-help groups have all made announcements to their members to raise awareness of the project.  Most notably, the Honourable Minister of Health, Professor Isaac F. Adewole has expressed his support for the project, and asked to be informed of further developments, thus opening the door for further conversations with policy and decision makers.

The fantastic support from the community indicates that the Gede Foundation is likely to make a significant contribution to the lives of many people living with mental illness in Nigeria.

Family Environment And The Child’s Social and Emotional Behaviour

Several factors affect the way children express their social skills and emotional strength. One such factor is the unsupportive and aggressive relationship between parents and children (especially foster parents). It is not news in this part of the country that street children (nicknamed Skolombo) are a serious security threat. These are children rejected by family because they are branded “witches and wizards” or have absconded from home because they committed offences and have bonded themselves into gangs.

I met with one and chatted. His real name is Daniel and he hails from Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. His street name is “Udord” meaning Slime.  I usually see Daniel in the morning picking out empty plastic bottles from the dust bin as I dispose of refuse. He would greet me and ask for plastic bottles; he is friendly but scavenges alone unlike others that are in pairs or groups of more. 

One day, we exchanged greetings but I didn’t leave immediately, so he asked slowly in pidgin ‘Mumsy, you wan send me, abi you get job for me?’ I smiled at him and answered “I wan ask you something” ‘Ok’ he said and this is how our chat went in Ibibio.

Me: What is your name and where are you from? My name is Eka
Daniel: ‘Udord’, from Abak.
Me: Udord? What does that mean? It is not a popular Ibibio name.
Daniel: (Chuckled) My real name is Daniel ‘Udord” is my nickname.
Me: Why are you called so?
Daniel: (He laughed) Mumsy I don’t know may be I am slime or I make people slip. I don’t know.
Me:  How should I address you Daniel or Udord?
Daniel: Mumsy call me what makes you comfortable.
Me: OK I will call you “Udord”. So Udord, I see you collect empty plastic bottle but you don’t look like other scavengers. What do you do with the plastic bottles?
Daniel:  I sell the plastic bottle to market women
Me: How much do you make on average daily from the sales?
Daniel: On a good day I make up to N700, sometime I get as low as N300.

We talked for a few more minutes but I could not stand the stench from the dustbin so I asked him whether I could buy him breakfast. With delight, he said “Yes!”  We walked a few steps from the dustbin and he stacked his sacks of plastic containers and bottles under a tree.

At the “buka” we talked about recycling plastic and scrap metal. I was moved by his intelligence and confidence, I asked, “Daniel, how did you get to be on the street?” His face dropped and it seemed I had asked a difficult question. He drank some water, thanked me and got up slowly. I apologised for overstepping and thanked him for the time we had to talk. I started to walk away and he called, “Mumsy may be one day you may wish to help me get back to school”.

Daniel is 19 years old and has lost both parents. A relative took him in and not only refused to take him to school, but made him do hard chores including hawking wares. Depressed by the family maltreatment, he ran from home (Akwa Ibom State) in 2014 to Calabar with the hope of getting a job but ended up as a scavenger. He refused to bond with other street children for fear of being roped into crimes and so prefers to be alone. He sweeps bus stations sometimes and sleeps in buses or in abandoned cars in garages. His refusal to be like other street boys earned him the nickname “Slime”. His sad story went on.

Daniel with his cart, being offered empty cans.

Maybe Slime did not tell the whole truth as to why he is on the street but family abuse, neglect and abandonment clearly affects a child’s behaviour. I do not think all street children are gang members or criminals but that bad family environment creates substantial risk to the physical and mental health of a child evidenced by emotional damage, severe anxiety, withdrawal or aggressive behaviour. There is need for a wide spread awareness not only on child’s rights, but also supportive family relationship for healthy mental development of the child.

Ekaette Udo Ekong

McGill Summer Program Social/Cultural Research Methods and Cultural Psychiatry

Dr. Cynthia Ticao (Performance Director, Research & Advocacy) came to McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) to attend two courses (Research Methods in Social/Cultural Psychiatry and Cultural Psychiatry) and one workshop (the McGill Illness Narrative/MINI) at the McGill Summer Program ran by the Institute of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry. The MINI workshop ended on the second week of May, while the two courses were completed on May 26 and May 27, 2016.

Both courses were very enriching. Cultural Psychiatry, under Dr. Laurence Kirmayer, provided an overview of approaches, theories, and historical background related to the role, influence, and relevance of cultural diversity on one’s understanding of mental illness. The course on Research Methods, led by Prof. Rob Whitley, exposed the participants to qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods that researchers currently use to explore issues, and formulate different perspectives and interventions that can alleviate mental health problems. The class discussions were engaging—what with participants coming from different parts of the world (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, and Portugal – to name a few!).

Dr. Ticao will also attend the workshop on Global Mental Health Research from June 2-7, 2016. Watch out for her next blog.

Happy Children’s Day: A Grateful Heart

May 27th was Children’s Day. We at Gede Foundation were honoured to receive this story from one of our beneficiaries from the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programme. 

“My name is Tope Anthony. I am a final year student of Mount Faith College, Sheretti. I have always wanted to become an army officer. I admire the way they serve the country. Every time I see them parading on a roll, singing sovereign songs, saluting officers, standing perfectly still, I’d watch them from a distance. For these reasons, I wanted to join the army and serve my country. However, my father passed away and with his passing went my hopes and dreams of ever getting an education and joining the army. It was a great loss, not only to me, but to my whole family as there was no one to pick up my father’s role and help the family. My mother too, was very ill. 

Eventually, I heard about Gede Foundation’s scholarship programme, which I enrolled into. I am smiling today because not only did I continue my school, I participated in the parade during Children’s Day and felt closer to my dream of joining the army.”

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Gede Foundation’s very own John Adakolo, who is part of the project, narrated how this young man’s story is one of his favourite stories. He said the story gives him hope and a sense of accomplishment as what the Foundation is doing has actual impact in communities. He hopes and prays Gede touches more lives.

A Very Special Day For Gede

On Friday, May 20th 2016, Gede’s Senior Management Team was honoured to be part of a meeting with His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to express the Foundation’s deep appreciation for his long-time commitment to providing support to many vulnerable populations in Nigeria including orphans, people living with HIV-AIDS, as well as those who suffer from mental illnesses, including epilepsy.

During the meeting, His Excellency commended Gede on the Foundation’s work since 2003. In particular, His Excellency noted the Foundation’s aim of bringing stigmatised and undeserved health burdens ‘out of the shadows’ through world class research and cutting edge partnerships which make a real difference at the community level. His Excellency encouraged Gede to continue with this focus, most especially in the area of mental illness which, as His Excellency noted, is increasingly becoming an important development problem in many low and middle income countries. 

Gede would like to use this medium to thank His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for his support in promoting its programmes and pledges to continue to work tirelessly in order to bring long lasting and ‘real’ benefits to those living in local communities.

GEDE FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW BLOOD

Gede Foundation recently employed two people to assist in the daily operations of the organization. The 'new blood', Zunzika Thole-Okpo (Media Officer) and Abdulwaheed Aliyu (Driver), were treated to a very informative orientation today, May 25th, 2016

A few existing team members were present at the orientation to welcome the ‘new blood’. Ms Jeremy Boglosa, the Performance Director: Organizational Development & Support Services presented the orientation in a very detailed and interactive manner. The new employees were educated on the Foundation’s rich history, its mission, the programme and strategies, people, organizational structure, geographical scope, policies, logistics and organizational culture, just to mention a few. 

Mr. Aliyu expressed his happiness for being a new member of the Foundation. He stated that “Gede means hope, and I see this as an opportunity to help the society through humanitarian services. I am proud to be involved.”

Zunzika and Aliyu from right to left with the rest of the welcome team!

Zunzika also expressed joy in the new appointment and hopes to work with everybody at the Foundation to bring out stigmatized burdens out of the shadows

As the Foundation continues to grow, it is our sincere hope that we continue to be a learning organization. A very hearty welcome to our newest recruits.

YEAR OF ACTION - END VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

The rate at which children are being abused in Nigeria (and globally), is alarming. Without a doubt, this leaves scars - some visible, others not. It is a heavy topic but it has to start from somewhere. In order to commemorate Children’s Day which falls on May 27th 2016, the Social Welfare Network Initiative (SWNI), in partnership with UNICEF, National Orientation Agency (NOA) and WE fm called for an end to violence against children. 

Gede Foundation attended this mind opening and thought provoking seminar which was held at Merit House, Abuja, FCT. Needless to say, the event was attended by a lot of partners and the most important being the young children from Oak Heights International School, Lugbe. 

Furthermore, the event presented other ways in which the mental health of children is either adversely affected, taken for granted or harmed. It also brought into question the mental health or mental state of the adults that inflict abuse on children. 

The seminar kicked off with a chilling revelation from the National Co-ordinator, Country Programme Manager for SWNI, Emmanuel Olisaeloka Osemeka about his own experiences of abuse as a child and how this has helped him fight for children's rights. This was followed by a welcome address and a score of goodwill messages from representatives of various stakeholders. 

The seminar was fully interactive and started with the children performed a musical drama that they had prepared. In the drama, they stated the various ways that children are abused and echoed the theme of the day which was ‘SAY NO TO CHILD ABUSE AND CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE’. Some of the examples that stood out were hawking on the streets, tribal marks, rape, calling them worthless, and generally exposing the children to situations where they are in a lot of dangers. The kids’ performance was interesting in that it clearly depicted that long after the physical scars have healed, they still have to deal with emotional, and even sadder, mental torture. 

UNICEF also had a presentation. Their video, which can be viewed by following the link, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMq10fCal3s) shows the horrifying ways in which children are abused and, sadly, often by those that ought to protect them. 

Thereafter followed a panel discussion and an interactive Q and A session. The children were very active and asked questions such as, “why would a grown man rape a small child” and also “Why would a pastor, prophet or Imam, label kids as witches and wizard?.” Questions relating to mental health were also raised. UNICEF informed the participants that they have programs that help, educate and heal children that have been abused. 

In conclusion, children are the future. To quote one of the speakers, kids are very vulnerable and very impressionable. It is up to the adults to make sure that there is safe communication between the children and those they trust, to make sure that children are comfortable enough to speak out and not suffer in silence. Parents and adults alike were encouraged to be vigilant, to look for signs of abuse in children and to seek help where the need arises. It is the children’s right to be protected from physical as well as emotional abuse. Children may be resilient and physical scars may heal, but this does not mean the emotional and mental scars are healed too.