Recent Events

2024 has been a busy year! Scroll down to see what we have been up to each month!

JULY

We did it!

Our first MHLeC implementation at Blantyre Teacher’s Training College wrapped up in July and what a journey it’s been!

Picture of the event

From May to July 2024, students participated in 6 engaging sessions focused on mental health. The energy, curiosity, and participation were incredible. A special shout-out to Miracle Masala, our inspiring MHLeC student volunteer, who led the final session on Suicide with relatable examples and real charisma — he truly brought the message home.

This is just the beginning. We’re so excited to keep building a movement of mental health–literate young people across Malawi!


JUNE

Picture of the event

In the first week of June, Dr Jumbe travelled to Hammamet in Tunisia to attend the 2nd ARISE Scientific Conference. She shared progress on the MHLeC project since its inception in August 2022, to distinguished delegates from across the African continent and the globe.

The MHLeC project is the only project out of 47 under the African Academy of Sciences ARISE scheme being conducted in Malawi and the only one focusing on mental health.

Click here to find out more about the EU ARISE, and their involvement in empowering scientific research in Africa!

LEEDS

Two members of the MHLeC team (Dr Sandra Jumbe and Mrs Gloria Chirwa) travelled to Leeds, United Kingdom to attend the New Research Directions in Global Mental Health: Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Symposium.

They were among a select group of world leading researchers from 14 countries chosen to present their research work.


Read an article on the symposium, which features Gloria as part of 4 researchers delivering a talk.

APRIL

On 3rd April, the MHLeC team conducted their 3rd mental health stakeholders workshop in Lilongwe, hosted by Dr Ndumanene Silungwe and his amazing team at St John of God Hospital with a group of mental health practitioners, users, advocates and community leaders.

Read more about the visit!

On 15th April, Dr Sandra Jumbe attended the Social Policy In Africa Conference in Pretoria, South Africa. She was an invited guest speaker on a discussion panel on “Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts Research Capacity, Leadership, and Funding in Africa”. Dr Jumbe shared her views on 'Using behavioural and social science approaches to improve youth mental health', using case studies from Malawi including the MHLeC project to drive her points home.


MARCH

12th March 2024 - Zomba Mental Hospital visit

In March, Dr Bessie Malila a fellow ARISE researcher from University of Cape Town visited Dr Jumbe at Millennium University Malawi to start their research collaboration work on user centred telemental health solutions or rural, remote and underserved communities. The morning of 13th March, Drs Jumbe & Malila conducted the first mental health stakeholders workshop for their WUN funded project. This was a very rewarding session with representation from mental health practitioners, service users and advocates, all working together to discuss potential for digital mental health interventions in Malawi.

This project is funded by the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN). Learn more about WUN and their other projects

In the afternoon, Dr Jumbe led another workshop with MU students which included Dr Malila giving a guest lecture on Digital health.

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Partnership In partnership with Millennium University, Malawi

In other news...

Dr. Sandra Jumbe shares her life experiences, from being a foreigner in the UK as a teenager to being a black woman in academic research and the field of health psychology on this podcast.