Somali Hayaan project
Mind in Harrow is pleased to announce that the Lottery Reaching Communities is funding the Hayaan Somali Project and has resumed service in April 2025.
Our Hayan project is the only specific mental health Somalia project and we are committed to supporting the Somali community in Harrow and surrounding areas. People from the Somali community experience disproportionate mental ill-health, stigma and exclusion. We aim to break down these barriers.
The term ‘Hayaan’ in Somali is a nomadic term to means ‘Moving on to a better place’. Our Somalia Coordinator will work with the community by recruiting and training a team of ‘peer volunteers’ from the local Somali communities to help increase awareness of and access to mental health support to the wider Somali community living in Harrow.
The Hayaan Project aims to
- Help reduce the sense of isolation experienced by Somalis with mental health difficulties
- Help increase the well-being and self-confidence of Somali mental health service users
- Provide advocacy and interpreting support to Somali mental health service users to help them understand and access mental health and other social welfare services
Who is it for?
The project is open to members of the Somali community living in Harrow. You must be 18 years and over and affected by mental health issues or supporting someone (Carer) who is affected by mental health issues.
What’s on offer?
If you or someone you know is affected by emotional distress/mental health issues and you/ they are experiencing problems in accessing services or you/they don’t know what sort of help they can access you should contact us to attend our workshops or if you or your family needs more support, we can offer one to one casework.
Our project will provide :
- Monthly mental health and wellbeing workshops – for all to attend. These will usually be held at Harrow and Wealdstone Library, but more information can be found on our events calendar (add the link) followed by outreach events to meet the community
- Casework – a dedicated Somali coordinator will have a caseload to help families in mental health crisis
- Annual EDI Competency training for professionals to better understand and meet the needs of the Somali community. Details of the course will be promoted on our website, social and our network nearer the time of the training.
Please contact Mind in Harrow at info@mindinharrow.org.uk or call 020 8426 0929