By: Haddy Touray
The International Voluntary Mental Health Organization (IVMHO)-The Gambia has trained a new cohort of volunteers to support mental health awareness and psychosocial services in communities across the country.
The training, held on July 11 as part of the organization’s 2026 Volunteer Orientation Program, brought together volunteers from diverse academic and professional backgrounds ahead of the 2026–2027 volunteer service year.
According to the organization the orientation was designed to equip participants with the knowledge, practical skills and ethical standards required to support mental health programs in schools and communities while helping to reduce stigma and improve access to psychosocial support.
Opening the program, IVMHO Administrative Secretary Abdou Drammeh outlined the organization’s history, mission and achievements, highlighting its contribution to promoting mental health awareness and psychosocial support in The Gambia as well as neighboring Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.
He urged the volunteers to uphold the values of professionalism, compassion and community service in carrying out their responsibilities.
The orientation also featured presentations from representatives of partner institutions on key mental health issues.
Representing the Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG), Sally Mary Jassey highlighted the link between substance abuse and mental health, stressing the importance of collaboration among government institutions, volunteers, families and communities in preventing drug abuse and promoting mental well-being.
Senior Nurse at the Psychiatric Unit of Kanifing General Hospital, Amadou D. Jallow, spoke on mental health awareness and challenged misconceptions surrounding mental illness, urging volunteers to help address stigma through public education.
IVMHO’s Coordinator of the School and Community Mental Health Program, Samba Baldeh, emphasized the growing need for school- and community-based mental health interventions and reminded volunteers of their ethical responsibilities, including confidentiality, empathy and professionalism.
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