Inspired by 6 successful study tours to the Gambia by Alternative Futures Group staff between 2013 and 2015, Mobee Mental Health Project is now established as charity in the Gambia called Mobee Gambia. A Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in the Gambia continues to give credit to Mobee`s work and to develop into a good working partnership based on respect, sensitivity to local cultures and an appreciation of local peoples’ difficulties and needs.
Mobee UK, a Registered Charity in the UK supervises and monitors the governance including financial accountability system of Mobee Gambia.
During the past two-years we have experienced the journey and embraced the shared learning and development with Mobee who are now fully established in Gambia and have become recognised as the only organisation of its kind ( outside of government authorities) who have committed dedicated resources to champion and raise awareness of Mental Health and Wellbeing across local communities.
Salifu Manneh is the Director of Mobee Gambia and is delighted to be part of an organisation that raises awareness of Mental Health and Wellbeing whilst also providing employment opportunities for local people. Salifu says “Having a purpose and meaningful activity in your life is really important to maintain the health and wellbeing of individuals!”
The Philosophy of Mobee is driven by a “Person Centred Care, (PCC).” Whole Person, Whole System and Whole life aspects of the individual. Person-centred care (PCC) is an innovative form of care which puts the individual at the Centre of everything from support from professional, family and friends to individual choice around how and where treatment interventions should occur. PCC supports people to take initiatives, develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to more effectively manage and make informed decisions about their own health and health care in general. It is coordinated and tailored to the needs of the individual. And, crucially, it ensures that people are always treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
Mobee shall have the power to affiliate to any national or international charitable organization having human rights and development objectives
We offer practical, social and emotional support in people’s homes, in the drop in facility located at mobee offices and we offer human resource support to patients and staff at Tanka Tanka Psychiatric hospital the only mental health hospital in the country.
We are in the process of negotiating land with the sukuta community so that we can construct and run the west coast community wellbeing centre whose roles and functions will be to offer the mentally ill a place to go to during and after a period of crisis. To offer the mentally ill and their carers a regular and consistent home based care and support through a well-coordinated and resourceful community mental health service.
To offer and coordinate from the Centre a follow up support service for patients who are discharged from Tanka Tanka and live in the West coast region and its surroundings.
The mentally ill who are homeless can come to the centre and seek support around housing and reunion with their family members. Their physical and mental states will be assessed and appropriate support will be sought if needed.
There will be a drop-in facility and as the name implies people can come in and out of the facility as they wish The Centre will be open 24 hours a day and will have 6 acute admission beds for crisis admissions only and the maximum length of stay will be 10 days.
The 24-hour service will be reinforced by a responsive community service that engages with the mentally ill and their families during and after a crisis.