Since starting my position as Executive Director in January 2023, I knew visiting our office in Gulu, Uganda—and meeting both staff and beneficiaries—was a priority. So this past March, I made my first visit to our office and to see our field activities in and around Gulu. I was welcomed warmly on the first day at the THRIVEGulu trauma center by our local THRIVE team and dozens of Gulu beneficiaries. As an African, I know that our continent does not often recognize mental health, and as a public health specialist I am proud that THRIVE advocates that mental health is public health that needs as much attention as other health issues. I was anxious to commence the field visits to see THRIVE’s work in action. Over the following two weeks, I visited our activities in the Palabek refugee settlement, Gulu City, Odek, and Amuru District.
One of my first days had me traveling for hours, on unpaved, twisted roads to reach Zone 7 of the Palabek refugee settlement. We were greeted by dancing girls, a cohort that just completed our 8-month GirlShine Program. To each shout of “GirlShine!” the girls would yell back, “Girls shine bright like the sun!” The confidence, the pride that I saw in these girls who just 8 months prior were lost was heartwarming. We cheered, we danced, we celebrated their success and encouraged them to continue to support each other and sustain a form of group therapy.
Another field visit had me in Gulu City, where I met young women learning to tailor through our Women and Youth Resilience Project. Jokingly, I asked them to make me a dress, and without hesitation, they took my measurements and made me a perfectly fitted dress in less than a week – and this after only 3 months of training! I was so impressed and moved to know that in such a short time, these young women, many of whom are already mothers, had the learning agility to grasp a new skill that would potentially help them financially support their families.
After two weeks of field visits, witnessing the smiles and dancing joy of our beneficiaries I was convinced that what THRIVE is doing is working!
What struck me most in my interactions with our beneficiaries was how much hope each woman, girl, child mother, and young man expressed. Hope that their mental health issues would be identified and addressed, hope that they would be able to put their lives back on track, hope that they would attain a level of literacy and financial security.
THRIVE’s programming offers this hope.
The second thing that struck me during my visit was how many community members came up to me asking us to continue and expand our services. They told me that THRIVE was the only organization that they knew that offered mental health and psychosocial support in the region.
They asked us to do more.
Now, I am asking you all to help us do more. Many of our grant funds are ending in the next year, yet so many people still need our services. Please think to donate at www.thrivegulu.org—every dollar goes a long way to help counsel, empower, and support our beneficiaries.
We thrive more when we help others to thrive!
Thank you for your time and support, and for believing in THRIVEGulu.
Warm regards,
Mah-Séré
