New Partnerships Drive Geographical Expansion

StrongMinds has entered its first-ever government partnership outside of Uganda and Zambia. We recently signed an MOU with Mombasa County in Kenya to train 60 community health workers to deliver our IPT-G model. This achievement is the culmination of our growing Global Partnerships Program, which served nearly 8,000 people with depression in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria this year.

In 2023, we partnered with Project Hope Ethiopia, Hope Worldwide Kenya, and LVCT Health Kenya to integrate our IPT-G model into their programs supporting HIV prevention and treatment. Our partnership with Triggerise in Mombasa wrapped its first year and is poised to expand to new counties in 2024.

In Nigeria, StrongMinds is working with Plan International to integrate depression treatment into programs focused on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young adults in Bauchi and Sokoto States. We will continue working with Plan International to reach more young people with depression in Nigeria in the coming year.

Expanding our work with government and NGO partners ensures that life-changing depression treatment is included in broader health and development initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa.

Resuming HIV Treatment After Depression Recovery

People living with HIV are at greater risk for depressive disorders, while depression can also impede health-seeking behaviors, creating a dangerous feedback loop.

After the sudden loss of her husband, Amara struggled to support her children. To save money, Amara—who is living with HIV—stopped taking her antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication, endangering her health further. “I couldn’t see a way out of my situation,” Amara says.

Through our partnership with Project Hope Ethiopia, Amara was screened for depression and enrolled therapy. With the support and wisdom of her group members, Amara found the courage to restart her ART medication, improving her physical health. She also raised ETB 2,000 (~USD$35) to start a small business selling penchera, a local potato and vegetable dish, alleviating her financial stress.

After completing her therapy sessions, Amara expressed deep gratitude for the project’s lifechanging impact. “I am completely free from stress,” she says. “I feel relieved, and I am motivated.”