• Youth Aware of Mental health.

• YAM hosts an annual mental health program.

• The chairman of Tanzania psychology services gives his address.

Youth Aware of Mental health is a school-based program for young people ages 13 to 17. In this program, they learn about and explore the topic of mental health. It is an evidence-based program taking place in classrooms around the world. They have conducted more than 85,000 teenagers in 16 countries, and more than 800 people have been trained as YAM Instructors worldwide. This program grows solidarity among young people and promotes positive mental health practices.

They host training annually and for the year 2023, they are hosting a 10-day training. The training started during the weekend at the Yatima Igoda hall in Mufindi.

The chairman of the Tanzania psychology services providers association, Dr. Heriel Mfangavo during his address at the opening of the training said that the training is a big opportunity for the youth’s transformation and abandoning the negative concept regarding their development. He said that the youths were still young, hence if they do not get the early psychological treatment they can cause disaster when they grow up, including murder.

He also highlighted that another group of people who need psychological assistance is people with disabilities, some of whom live with stress and depression due to their physical status. He also urged those who will work on the YAM project in the Mufindi district to identify challenges that cause depression among people with disabilities.

He also pointed out how this training will be of huge benefit to the people struggling with disability and also help them do away with dependency. The program will be a big savior to the community, especially in areas surrounding the project.

YAM Project manager Danford Mkumbo said the project will run for four years and is sponsored by Mufindi District Council in collaboration with the Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust (FCWCT) project and financed by Finland and is expected to benefit over 770 youths from poor families in 16 villages of Mufindi district.