WHO WE ARE
OUR HISTORY
Shift Mental Health Senegal was created in 2019. During the Leading Minds conference in Italy organized by UNICEF, the founder participated in workshops with amazing people who have created amazing projects about mental health. Those project and her own experience with depression motivated her to create Shift Mental Health Senegal. At first, SMHS was about raising awareness about mental health on social medias.
We have 2 main areas of intervention beside online awarness
Rural communities
Shift Mental Health in Communities focuses entirely on senegalese rural communities. The rural communities by far encompass the largest part of the national territory and suffer the most from the lack of ressources, education, health support and basic human needs in general.
Rural communities has a very special way of dealing with mental illness and understanding it. We create a format that will allow us to explain to them what mental health and depression are and how to make sure they know the primary coping mechanism adapted to their realities.
Education
Shift Mental Health in Education joined Shift Senegal during the process. Senegal is a country full of stigmatizations. Depression, more specifically, is not considered as an issue that deserves attention for our society. When young people try to open up about about how they feel, they are immediately mocked, ignored or neglected. Raising awareness about mental health was an evidence to us.
Shift Mental Health in Senegal aspire to become a big nonprofit organization which will be able to accomplish missions in many countries in Africa.
OUR MISSION
Change how mental disorders are being perceived in Africa
Make mental health care available for all children and adolescents in school
Stop the stigmatization .
OUR VISION
In a near future, children and adolescents in Senegal will have healthy and enjoyable learning experiences. They will have fulfilling lives and will build nourishing relationships. They will become that generation that will understand the importance of mental well-being and do whatever necessary to take care of their mental health.
OUR CORE VALUES
COMPASSION
ACCURACY
DEDICATION
RESPECT
OUR FOUNDER
Shift Education is part of a nonprofit organization founded in November 2019 in Dakar by Anna GUEYE, a senegalese woman who was born and raised in Dakar. She always has been interested in mental health due to her own experience with depression and anxiety.
After her Msc in Luxury and Brand management, she went back to Senegal to invest in her country. Victim of cyber harassment and bullying in 2018, she started to organize events and activities to help people disconnect, distressed, have fun and feel mentally and emotionally better. After her participation to the Leading Minds Conference in 2019, she created Shift Mental Health Senegal to have a greater impact on her community online and offline. As a suicide surviver, her unique goal is to help young people receive the support, the awareness and the mental care they need to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
WHAT WE DO
Mental health has always been stigmatized in our society. In collaboration with psychologists, professionals, parents, schools and communities, we can change the way mental health issues are being handled in our country.
OUR APPROACH
Educate & Inform
With the expertise of our collaborators, Shift Education offers trainings and awareness campaigns to partners and game changers in rural communities such as badiene Gox.
Build a strong network
Networking and partnerships are crucial for nonprofit organizations. Shift education builds its network to open rooms for new financial opportunities, partnerships and for more visibility.
Create a community
Finding people to connect with is crucial for people’s mental health. We create a shift community through ambassadorship, volunteering and clubs.
Provide support
As small as the support might be, we try to provide support to our communities online or offline through conversations, awareness and activities. For instance we do not provide any professional support.