Image for Developing mental wealth

In this series, we uncover community-led projects that are creating cost-effective ways to improve people’s wellbeing in economically developing countries, where government support for mental health is minimal.

The year-long series will look at the varied and unique ways that communities are providing mental health services and responding to the systemic problems that threaten their wellbeing; from conflict to gender equality and climate change.

The series is produced by Positive News and funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Articles in this series

Image for Six things we learned making the Positive News podcast
Six things we learned making the Positive News podcast Our first series challenged western wellbeing concepts and showed community solutions to mental health issues. Here are our highlights Body & Mind Lifestyle Society Wellbeing World
Image for ‘There’s a lot of space now for solutions.’ Meet the hosts of the Positive News podcast
‘There’s a lot of space now for solutions.’ Meet the hosts of the Positive News podcast The doctor and journalist who front the new Positive News podcast talk mental health solutions and why hope is a crucial strand of wellbeing Media Society World
Image for Heard the good news? The Positive News Podcast has just launched
Heard the good news? The Positive News Podcast has just launched Positive News is bringing its uplifting journalism to the airways, starting with a six-part series on mental health solutions Media Society World
Image for It’s easy, it’s everywhere: the simple solution improving mental health around the globe
It’s easy, it’s everywhere: the simple solution improving mental health around the globe The common strand linking successful mental health projects from Guatemala to Zimbabwe and India Culture Health Society Wellbeing World
Image for Gaza’s children: play in a time of crisis
Gaza’s children: play in a time of crisis In Gaza, psychological first aid projects like the Free Gaza Circus are providing play, support and laughter amid a bitter war Culture Justice Lifestyle Peace Society World
Image for Salon therapy: the Ivory Coast hairdressers tackling a mental health crisis
Salon therapy: the Ivory Coast hairdressers tackling a mental health crisis A scheme that trains hairdressers across west Africa in counselling is shifting the narrative around mental health one braid at a time Health Society Wellbeing
Image for A class act: the therapy school for children raised in Delhi’s red light district
A class act: the therapy school for children raised in Delhi’s red light district An Indian woman’s pioneering trauma-informed programme is helping to change the life trajectory of children raised in Delhi’s slums Health Society Wellbeing
Image for Lima’s neurodivergent picnic movement is liberating Peruvians from stigma and abuse
Lima’s neurodivergent picnic movement is liberating Peruvians from stigma and abuse What started as a picnic for neurodiverse people has become a grassroots movement pushing Peruvian society for acceptance and recognition Health Society Wellbeing
Image for The climate cafe helping eco-anxious Africans find hope amid the heat
The climate cafe helping eco-anxious Africans find hope amid the heat Youth activist Jennifer Uchendu is on a mission to help fellow Nigerians give voice to their climate fears Body & Mind Environment Lifestyle Society Wellbeing World
Image for The township caravan tackling South Africa’s femicide problem – the African way
The township caravan tackling South Africa’s femicide problem – the African way In South Africa, women are five times more likely to die at the hands of a partner. A creative new therapy is rooting out violence Lifestyle Society Wellbeing World
Image for Five things we’ve learned making a series on community-led mental health projects around the world
Five things we’ve learned making a series on community-led mental health projects around the world The enviable childcare situation of Guatemalan parents, and why ‘stringers’ have the best job on earth Body & Mind Health Lifestyle Society Wellbeing World
Image for The Nordic way: why the alternative Finnish approach to psychosis is going global
The Nordic way: why the alternative Finnish approach to psychosis is going global Developed by Finnish doctors in the 1980s, 'open dialogue' dramatically improves outcomes for those in crisis Health Lifestyle Science Society Wellbeing World
Image for Circles of hope: the Guatemalan women reviving Indigenous concepts of mental wellbeing
Circles of hope: the Guatemalan women reviving Indigenous concepts of mental wellbeing Following decades of civil war, a community collective in Guatemala uses sharing circles to revive Indigenous concepts of mental health Health Lifestyle Society Wellbeing World
Image for Solutions without borders: sending our journalism global
Solutions without borders: sending our journalism global From the UK to Kenya, we’ve been training up reporters in solutions journalism, thanks to a grant Media Opinion Perspective
Image for The butterflies of Liberia: transforming the lives of former child soldiers
The butterflies of Liberia: transforming the lives of former child soldiers In Liberia, a project from a former teen soldier that offers CBT and cash transfers to violent street criminals is changing lives Lifestyle Society Spirit Wellbeing World
Image for The sports movement spreading positivity in war-torn Yemen
The sports movement spreading positivity in war-torn Yemen How do you improve mental wellbeing amid war and famine? A retiree in Yemen has a Nordic-inspired solution Health Lifestyle Society Wellbeing World
Image for Zimbabwe’s therapeutic ‘friendship benches’, coming to a city near you
Zimbabwe’s therapeutic ‘friendship benches’, coming to a city near you A Zimbabwean project that employs grandmothers to deliver therapy is being rolled out globally. Up next? London Health Lifestyle Society Wellbeing World
Image for The new approach to ending FGM that’s showing promise in Kenya
The new approach to ending FGM that’s showing promise in Kenya In a bid to break the cycle of FGM, a grassroots project is piloting a radically different method – and early results are encouraging Body & Mind Society Wellbeing World