From 21st to 23rd April 2025, the Taskeen Community team alongside their clinical consultant Dr. Salma Siddiqui visited Peshawar as a part of the ongoing PEACE program to observe Community Wellbeing Mentors (CWMs) conducting awareness and screening sessions in various areas of Peshawar. The primary goal of these sessions was to raise awareness about mental health and psychosocial support within the communities. The visits also focused on the dissemination of the Digital Patient Information Management System (DPIMS) and a refresher training for CWMs by Dr. Salma.
Taskeen’s PEACE (Psycho-Social Empowerment and Community Engagement) program was developed to address the significant challenges faced by Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan, particularly in areas such as livelihoods, education, healthcare, and social cohesion. With over 1.4 million Afghan refugees, many of whom live in urban areas, these populations, especially women, children, and the elderly, face barriers to accessing mental health services. The PEACE program leverages community-based and digital resources to provide culturally sensitive mental health support, aiming to foster resilience, improve access to services, and create an adaptable model to meet psycho-social needs.
The current visits highlighted the program ascending its scope and impacting communities in terms of mental health awareness, wellbeing, and getting the necessary support.