13/03/2025
On 3rd to 5th March 2025, we conducted a Psycho-medical and Legal aid clinic in Ayuu Alali Parish, Palabel Kal sub-county, Lamwo district, with funding support from the Embassy of the Netherlands in Uganda
The overall objective of this activity was to increase access to trauma-focused mental health services, medical treatment for untreated war-related harms, and legal aid services to refugees and host communities in Northern Uganda, to empower them to regain good health and lead productive and self-reliant lives.
The medical treatment clinic aimed to bring medical services closer to the vulnerable forced migrants and conflict-affected hosts grappling with the unaddressed horror of displacement and wartime harms. Further, it broke the silence of conflict harms that has often been relegated by food and other protection and livelihood needs as significant conflict affected persons turned up for the clinic and confidentially disclosed their sufferings to the medical team and received appropriate treatment. Many beneficiaries reported satisfaction and optimism to recover and regain their health so that they can be productive again and combat the burdening dependency on foreign aid.
The mental health team offered trauma-informed counselling services and played critical roles in responding to psychological war trauma and other daunting mental health and psychosocial challenges such as su***de ideation, depression, anxiety and alcohol and substance misuse disorders. Consequently, the beneficiaries reported psychological relief, increased self-awareness, reduced anxiety, increased resilience to cope positively with their distress and trauma, and a general reduction in mental health symptoms.
The legal team offered legal advice and counselling to the host population in Ayuu Alali, who reported a significant lack of representation in the court and ignorance of processes of accessing justice on common issues such as assaults, land conflicts, child neglect, domestic violence, attacks by mentally ill persons, deliberate infection with chronic diseases (HIV/AIDs), defilement, r**e and losses incurred during the 1986 take-over and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebellion. The beneficiaries got to know partners who offer free legal representation and also gained knowledge on court processes, and their obligation to report and follow-up on the cases closely.
