Country
Category
Social
Starting period
Year-round arrival on Saturdays or Sundays
Minimum length of stay
4 weeks
Number of people
1-4 people
Study fields
Social work, Public Health, Psychology, Psychiatry, Occupational therapy, Health care, Nursing, Medicine, Education, Agriculture
Country
Category
Social
Starting period
Year-round arrival on Saturdays or Sundays
Minimum length of stay
4 weeks
Number of people
1-4 people
Study fields
Social work, Public Health, Psychology, Psychiatry, Occupational therapy, Health care, Nursing, Medicine, Education, Agriculture
Our hosting partner AVO has partnered with a project which specifically on men from the community who are in recovery. The Sober living facility is a privately run facility founded by a community member who is in his 10th year of sobriety from addiction. The home provides a safe space for the men to find solace, guidance and intensive support in their recovery journey before re-joining the community independently.
The Problem
There is huge stigma surrounding mental illness in Tanzania, particularly when dealing with ailments or complaints that cannot be easily identified or understood. This oftentimes delays people seeking treatment or support which can have severe and destructive life outcomes. Because of this, the majority of the work needed to be done in reaching people that need help is in the community and through bold awareness campaigns countering stigma. Many people will not make it to the few mental health treatment facilities scattered around the region.
AVO team spoke at length with the Sober House team, who provided insight on common factors they have seen throughout the years that bring men to their care.
●Severe and untreated depression
○Stigmas around speaking about depression and feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and deep concerns
●Genetic and environmental factors
○Many of the men come from families or communities where there is a close history of severe addiction
●Suicidal ideation
○Feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide often create a crisis situation that requires immediate intervention
●Severe lack of programs and support in the wider community
○Many people struggling with addiction are shunned or discriminated against and find it extremely difficult to find programs, safe spaces or professional help. Many are not from the immediate area and travel hundreds of miles to enter the Sober House
●Underlying or undiagnosed mental health issues
○The psychiatrists reported many of the men they had assessed self reported symptoms consistent with other mental health issues that had been untreated.
○As a result substances may have been used to self medicate as a coping mechanism
●Poverty
○Severe lack of job opportunities, food and shelter insecurity can create extremely unhealthy coping mechanisms leading to substance abuse and addiction as a result of continuous worry, anxiety and depression.
Culture also has a huge role to play in supporting the community in creating mental wellness. Traditional and religious beliefs provide a powerful backdrop on how mental health is understood and navigated in communities. Beliefs can also play into health seeking behaviours, where people may seek out religious leaders and/or traditional practitioners for help and understanding before seeking psychiatric or medical diagnosis and treatment. A large proportion of the population still attribute supernatural reasoning for mental health issues, lessening the amount of people readily seeking psychiatric treatment or western based psychological treatment support.
The Mission
In partnership with District Executive Director His Excellency Suleiman Hamis Msumi and his dedicated team, our interns have been invited to support the work at the Sober House.Our interns will work alongside an experienced team with patients that are struggling with mental health issues.
Will I be picked up at the airport?
Yes. We ensure that your program coordinator or an employee of the organization comes to pick you up and bring you to the accommodation.
Do I get a local introduction?
Yes. Often a day after arrival you will receive an introduction from our partner where you will be shown around the projects, contacts, complex and the required facilities and important information about the area.
What if I get sick during my stay?
Can I extend my stay on-site?
It is important to first discuss this with us and with the partner organization. Because of arranging visas, ticket changes and accommodation options in the country and at the accommodation.
Can I drink the water from the tap?
What are the different accommodation types?
Can I take pictures of local people and post these on Social Media?
What about on-site supervision and the level of supervision?
Guidance and supervision on-site is crucial, especially for interns. We have customized local supervision and supervision on every project. The level differs per project partner but is also often available at Bachelor and Master level.
Who is my supervisor on-site?
That is a reliable local contact person that we know personally.
When will I receive the contact details of the organization and supervisor?
After payment of the program costs invoice, we provide all contact details and names of our partners and supervisors. We expect that this will be dealt with discretely, also with reference to the new privacy legislation.
Challenge yourself by temporarily leaving your comfort zone
Make a difference via a local need-based project description
Work together with the local community for a better future
Let’s Go Africa uses Google Analytics to help us understand how you use the site and ways that we can improve your experience.