The community mental health awareness program is a sub-coordinative body under the International Voluntary Mental Health Organization (IVMHO) providing mental health awareness in communities, breaking myths and misconceptions, and fighting mental stigma and discrimination. Involving community enablers, influencers, and leaders such as Ministers, Mayors, “Alikalo”, village development committees, “imams”, traditional healers, spiritual healers, women, men, and everyone in an inclusive approach. In our region most people believe that mental illness is caused by bad demons or spirits, which influences most to visit traditional or spiritual healers instead of visiting a psychiatric hospital for treatments, many still think mental illness is the manifestation of a punishment invoked by another human or djinn, There is a belief that djinns as well as humans populate the world, most of this beliefs are not supportive for clients instead lead to a higher stigma and discrimination.
