Blog
Having someone to talk to matters. Having a welcoming place nearby where that conversation can happen matters too especially for young people living with conflict, displacement and daily hardship.
SEMBE recently equipped community wellbeing centres across its nine target communities in Cameroon’s Far North Region with chairs, tables, storage cabinets and learning materials. These resources support trained community lay counsellors in welcoming young people and providing basic mental health and psychosocial support.
The centres serve Makoulahe, Kolofata, Kourgui, Mabass, Ouro-Kessoum, Koza, Meskine, Pitoare and Salak.
Giving community counsellors the resources to help
Training equips lay counsellors with skills to listen and respond with care. A suitable space and basic materials help them put those skills into practice. These resources help make the centres welcoming places where young people can express themselves, receive support and take part in activities that strengthen their wellbeing.
Bringing support closer to home
In communities affected by conflict, young people may be coping with fear, loss, disrupted education or separation from familiar support networks. Distance and uncertainty about where to seek help can make those difficulties harder to manage.
Community wellbeing centres provide a local point of contact. Trained lay counsellors offer a listening ear and basic psychosocial support, while helping identify young people who need additional care and connecting them with appropriate services.
The centres also create opportunities to build understanding of mental health within the wider community, encouraging families and community members to support young people without judgement.
This investment builds on SEMBE’s training of 45 volunteer community lay counsellors and forms part of its Youth Mental Health Project. By strengthening both people’s skills and the spaces where they work, SEMBE is helping make support more accessible in everyday community life.
