Consolidated Africa Services(Private Voluntary Organization)

Being awarded the Elevate Prize funding would greatly assist in taking our work to the communities in our country. We have a long way to go in demonstrating the intricate relationship between our mental health and the environment around us. Consolidated Africa Services (PVO) will establish a Forest Therapy Institute in Zimbabwe where people can access Forest Therapy that is culturally relevant and allows for people to learn how to leverage on the healing power of nature whilst benefitting from the therapeutic effects of the experience. It involves an experience where one takes in the forest through the senses and allows nature to soothe them. It is a foreign concept to Zimbabwe and Africa but is a part of the public health system in Japan and South Korea. Zimbabwe's culture is rich and there is a considerable amount of respect for how nature can heal the body and mind.  Having Forest Therapy available to the public as a mental health service will help improve feelings of happiness, lower blood pressure, reduce stress, boost the immune system and re-balance the mind and body.

I am a young woman with a deep passion for helping people. I am able to relate to some of the emotional and mental health struggles people often encounter and being unable to get help. I then chose a career in mental health because I believe that we can all find the answers we need deep within ourselves first before we get them anywhere else. I envision a Zimbabwe with a high mental health literacy and access to dynamic mental health interventions that help them to be able to self-help. Consolidated Africa Services (PVO)'s is thus committed to ensuring that mental health is integrated into people's daily lives by ensuring that they understand and are able to acknowledge when they face mental health challenges and are able to find resources and interventions with Consolidated Africa Services (PVO). Thus there is a huge need for more accessible and simple interventions that can help people with common mental disorders such as stress and depression. 

In Zimbabwe, mental health is highly stigmatized and is grounds for social discrimination. Zimbabwe has 17 psychiatrists and 18 clinical psychologists to serve a population of over 15 million. Suicide rates have since risen significantly over the years especially amongst men. Most people, including local media houses are not familiar with the topic. Our environment has been devastated in light of economic hardships. 

Consolidated Africa Services (PVO) is a registered non-profit organization based in Zimbabwe. Our main focus is mental health environmental conservation where we seek to demonstrate how merging the two is good for both our state of mind and our environment. We rely on each other for survival. We have embarked on a journey to plant 2.5 million trees by 2025 where we are actively addressing deforestation in the country. We are getting the tree planting initiative adopted by prisons and psychiatric facilities as a part of their rehabilitative functions. We are introducing resilience programs designed to take care of the carer which involves teachers, first responders, prison officials and parents amongst others. The Covid-19 pandemic taught us that the mental health of the people who are always in a position to take care of others needs attention. 

What makes our work unique and innovative is how we have chosen to leverage on the healing powers of nature to help heal emotional and psychological disorders. It is an attempt at narrowing the treatment gap when it comes to mental health services. Our programs are designed to equip participants with self help techniques and skills to help them deal with regular stressors. Zimbabwe needs more mental health interventions.

We believe that impact is mostly about information and people. Bringing the two together through our TCG approach where we believe in weaving the efforts of Third parties, Corporates and Governments will all work towards achieving The Common Good for all of humanity. We strongly believe that through this approach we can change the narrative of Zimbabwe to a positive one within the global community. Our programs are designed to involve the TCG's in actively making a difference so that we all contribute to a better Zimbabwe. We have since managed to bring together third parties such as organizations, individuals; corporates and governments in some of our efforts where all three still work together to do better for our communities and our country.