Africa Diaspora World Mental Health Day 2016

To mark World Mental Health Day 2016, Tribal Sands will be collaborating with the exclusive Tyburn Gallery in Central London on Monday 10 October from 6pm-9pm for an evening of discussions.  The Africa Diaspora led event will discuss the remarkable progress we have made as well as the challenges that persist.
This year’s World Mental Health Day explores the theme of psychological emergencies, in view of the recent challenges in migration around the globe. The event will address a wide range of challenges in the African continent and those experiences of Africans living away from their home country.
There are many health care professionals of African Heritage working in the UK, part of African Diaspora. It is recognised that people of different ethnic minority groups have different experiences of mental health due to differing socio-economic exposure and challenges
Dorcas Gwata is an Award Winning Zimbabwean-born Public Health Specialist Nurse who works on a specific project looking at mental health needs of young people involved in gangs at CNWL in London. Dorcas studied Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and has an interest in Global Health and Research in Gender Violence. She has trained and worked in Zimbabwe, India Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda and recently explored mental health recovery models in Sri Lanka.

A panel will discuss some of the remarkable progress that we have achieved in improving minority health. Clinical Psychologist Tarisai Bere, who works on The Friendship Bench Project in Zimbabwe, will discuss the effectiveness of using community health workers to deliver low cost mental health interventions in low resourced countries. They will discuss the importance of mobilising and strengthening community resilience and innovation to tackle global events that continue to impact on communities and individual mental health.
Debbie Ariyo OBE, Chief Executive of AFRUCA Charity will discuss her work with victims of trafficking, role of religion and culture in mental health. She will also discuss female genital mutilation (FMG) and witchcraft branding and challenges African parents face in the UK.
Farai Sevenzo, a film Maker and broadcast journalist, urges that Africans need to tell their own stories. He will discuss the role of the media in raising mental health awareness and the ever conflicting issues of how Africa and Africans are depicted in global media.

East African economist, Agnes Gitau will discuss the important role of developing social enterprises that shift communities out of poverty and reduce individual and community vulnerabilities.
Elroy Palmer MBE will speak on gangs and mental health and the brilliant work that charities like St Giles Trust are doing to help young vulnerable groups from violence to constructive and safe lifestyles that help them to grow as part of society.
Dorcas will be joined by members of the CNWL-Tanzania Link, and its chair Dr Tami Kramer and other committee members.
Stigma continues to be a huge challenge amongst a minority group and a barrier to accessing early help. Although we have achieved remarkable progress in tackling HIV and recently the Ebola crisis, the mental health impact of these epidemics persists in African communities with African women carrying the heaviest burden of the diseases.
Join us for an evening of conversations and networking
 
Dorcas Gwata
Tribal Sands October 2016