Youth Champions during training session

Youth and community leaders participating in mental health and SRHR training in Lilongwe

Youth Champions Trained in Mental Health and SRHR in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu

Over 150 young people, community leaders and social workers convened in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu these three weeks for a training in community dialogue and Psychosocial Support (PSS), aimed at strengthening mental health and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services for young people affected by HIV and AIDS.

The training was organized by Malawi AIDS Counselling and Resource Organization (MACRO) in collaboration with Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI) facilitating the sessions, and support from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Malawi Interfaith AIDS Alliance (MIAA) and Y+ Malawi.

Training session in progress
Participants engage in group discussions during the training session
Group discussion during training
Facilitator leading a session on mental health awareness
Participants engaging in activities
Participants practicing communication skills
Participants engaging in activities
Mzuzu-group discussion.

With participants drawn from READY+ targeted health facilities across Blantyre, Mzuzu and Lilongwe, including Makhetha, Bangwe, Mpemba, and Chilomoni Health centers, MACRO Limbe Clinic, MACRO Lilongwe Clinic, Area 25 Community Hospital, Kabudula and Mitundu Health Centers, Bwaila/Lighthouse Community Hospital, Ekwendeni Hospital, St. John's Mission Hospital, Mzuzu Health Center, Mzuzu Central Hospital and MACRO Mzuzu Clinic, the training equipped them with practical and evidence-based skills to deliver peer-led mental health support and initiate youth-centered SRHR interventions in their communities.

This initiative forms part of a broader youth-led strategy to foster inclusive and supportive environments for young people, particularly those living with or most affected by HIV. It prioritizes community driven approaches to build safe spaces for accessing SRHR and HIV services, while empowering young people to take a leading role in advocacy and intervention design.

In the long term, READY+ partners expect to reach over 2000 community members in the targeted sites of Blantyre, Mzuzu and Lilongwe through community dialogue sessions. The program also aims to deliver peer-led psychosocial support services to more than 480 young people enrolled in the READY+ case management program through 12 Peer Supporters in the Blantyre, Mzuzu and Lilongwe READY+ sites mentioned earlier.