Mental Health (Resilient Minds)
Mental health is health. Yet for many in nomadic communities, emotional and psychological
wellbeing remains unspoken, misunderstood, or stigmatized.
The Resilient Minds program creates culturally-rooted, community-led spaces for healing and mental wellbeing. Through mobile peer circles, storytelling, and trusted community voices, youth and mothers talk, share, and build resilience.
Sessions focus on emotional literacy, trauma recovery, stress management, and support systems — in ways that align with nomadic life and values. For mothers, the program offers safe wellness spaces during maternal outreach, integrating postpartum mental health screening, psychosocial support, and trauma-informed care.
For youth, especially those affected by climate displacement, conflict, or lack of opportunity, the program equips them with tools to cope and support one another. Importantly, Resilient Minds also trains frontline health workers to recognize and respond to signs of mental distress as the first line of defense for community health. Because a mentally healthy mother, a supported youth, and a well-equipped health worker are essential for building thriving pastoralist communities.